SUN  YAT  SEN 

AND  THE 

AWAPCENING  OF  CHINA 


JAMES  CANTLIE 

AND 

C.  SHERIDAN  JONES 


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Digitized  by  the  internet  Archive 
in  2016 


https://archive.org/details/sunyatsenawakeni00cant_0 


SUX  VAT  SEX 
W’itli  Autograph 


SUN  YAT  SE 

AND  THE  AWAKENING  OF  CHINA 

/ By 

JAMES  CANTLIE,  M. A.,  M.B.,  F.  R.  C.  S. 

Dean  of  the  College  of  Medicine,  Hong  Kong  (1889-1896) 

AND 

C.  SHERIDAN  JONES 

ILLUSTRATED 


New  York  Chicago  Toronto 

Fleming  H.  Revell  Company 

London  and  Edinburgh 


Copyright,  1912,  by 

FLEMING  H.  REVELL  COMPANY 


New  York:  158  Fifth  Avenue 
Chicago:  125  N.  Wabash  Ave. 
Toronto:  25  Richmond  St.,  W. 
London:  21  Paternoster  Square 
Edinburgh:  100  Princes  Street 


FOREWORD 


SEVERAL  publishers  within  the  last  six 
months  have  favored  me  with  a request 
that  I should  write  an  account  of  Sun 
Yat  Sen  and  his  work.  I felt  honored  by 
their  doing  so,  but  being  diffident  of  my 
ability  to  accomplish  the  task,  and  not  having 
sufficient  time  at  my  disposal,  I most  reluc- 
tantly had  to  decline,  and  it  was  not  until 
there  was  promised  me  the  valuable  help  of 
Mr.  C.  Sheridan  Jones  that  I was  able  to 
entertain  the  idea. 

To  the  excellent  chapters  contributed  by 
Mr.  Sheridan  Jones  I have  only  been  able 
to  add  my  personal  experiences,  and  to  tell 
something  of  the  character  and  career  of 
Sun  Yat  Sen,  and  the  nature  of  the  arduous 
struggle  in  which  he  engaged.  For  twenty- 
five  years  my  wife  and  myself  have  had  the 
privilege  of  a close  and  intimate  acquaintance 
with  Sun.  With  the  passing  of  years  the  ties 
of  friendship  have  increased,  and  we  have 

3 


4 


FOREWORD 


learned  more  than  ever  to  appreciate  his 
strength  of  character,  his  earnestness  of  pur- 
pose, his  modesty  of  mind,  and  to  understand 
the  secret  of  his  power,  whereby  he  was  en- 
abled to  bring  to  a successful  issue  the  great 
work  of  his  life. 

My  chief  regret  is  that  I have  been  able 
to  paint  so  meagre  a picture  of  a truly  noble 
character. 


James  Caxtlie. 


CONTENTS 


I.  Introductory 9 

II.  Sun  Yat  Sen:  the  Man  and  His  Work  22 

III.  The  Rise  of  a Great  Tyranny  . 66 

IV.  The  Last  of  the  Manchus  . . 86 

V.  The  Struggle  . . . . .108 

VI.  A Graceful  Tribute  to  the  Mings 


VII. 

— The  Reform  Movement 
The  Flag  of  the  New  Republic 

. 127 

. 139 

VIII. 

Things  Chinese  . 

• 

. 149 

IX. 

The  Fight  with  Opium 

. 204 

X. 

The  Future  of  China 

. 214 

6 


i 

i 


I 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


Sun  Yat  Sen,  with  autograph  . . Frontispiece 

The  Great  Wall  at  Nankow  Pass  . . .18 

Sun  Yat  Sen  and  His  Son  in  1911  ...  22 

Mrs.  Sun  Yat  Sen  with  Her  Son  ...  60 

Sun  Yat  Sen  while  President  of  the  Republic 
of  China . 64 

Market  Place  in  Full  Blast  ....  80 

A Typical  Ancestral  Temple  . . . .100 

Worshipping  at  the  Ancestor’s  Grave  . .128 

The  National  Flag  of  the  Chinese  Republic  . 140 

Confucian  and  Buddhist  Temples  . . .150 

A Gate  of  Peking 164 

Sun  Yat  Sen’s  Two  Daughters  . . . .174 

The  Pantagramme 196 

Scheme  of  the  Constitution  of  Man  . . .198 

An  Anatomical  Figure  According  to  Chinese 
Conception  . . .....  200 

Opium  Smokers 205 

Outline  Section  Map  of  China  ....  222 

Heads  and  Tails 236 


I 


INTRODUCTORY 

IT  was  in  the  autumn  of  1896  that  the 
world  first  heard  of  Dr.  Sun  Yat  Sen.  A 
Chinese  refugee  had  been  kidnapped — 
kidnapped  in  London ; and  Englishmen 
rubbed  their  eyes  as  they  read  how  he  had 
been  seized  in  broad  daylight,  and  was  being 
held  a prisoner  in  the  Chinese  Embassy,  his 
liberty  denied  him,  his  very  life  in  danger. 
Who  does  not  remember  the  sensation  the 
story  caused,  the  tense  excitement  as  to 
the  man’s  fate,  the  wild  conjectures  as  to  the 
mode  of  his  delivery!  For  a day  or  so  the 
town,  the  whole  country,  talked  of  little  else. 
And  then,  suddenly,  Britain  intervened ! 
Within  a few  days  Sun  was  released.  Al- 
most as  speedily,  for  the  excitement  soon  sub- 
sided, he  was  forgotten. 

But  a decade  and  a half  later  the  public 
recalled  the  strange  event.  For,  on  Decem- 
ber 29,  1911,  they  read  with  something  like 
amazement  the  message  from  Reuter’s  Nan- 
king correspondent  telling  the  world  that  this 

9 


10 


SUN  YAT  SEN 


same  refugee,  who  had  been  hunted  out  of 
his  own  land  and  pursued  even  in  ours,  had 
lived  to  be  proclaimed  First  President  of  the 
Chinese  Republic  and,  quite  obviously,  was 
master  of  the  unprecedented  situation  which 
had  been  created  in  that  land  of  mystery. 
YThat  had  happened  in  the  interval  to  give 
him  this  unique  authority?  How  had  this 
man,  poor,  obscure,  unaided,  achieved  so 
wonderful  a sway  over  the  countless  millions 
of  his  fellow-Celestials,  usually  deemed  the 
most  elusive  of  mankind?  In  what  lay  the 
secret  of  his  power?  To  answer  these  ques- 
tions, so  that  the  public  may  see  Sun  Yat 
Sen  and  the  Chinese  Revolution  in  their  true 
perspective,  is  to  describe  a career  that,  alike 
for  sheer  romance  and  historical  importance, 
has  never  been  surpassed. 

For  twenty  years  Sun  Yat  Sen  has  devoted 
every  day  and  almost  every  hour  of  his  life 
to  one  single  object — the  overthrow  of  the 
Manchu  rule  in  China  and  the  establishment 
of  such  representative  Government  as  will 
insure  the  people  elementary  justice,  free- 
dom from  the  extortions  of  cornipt  man- 
darins, a free  press,  and  facilities  for  edu- 
cation. He  has  risked  death  and  torture  on 
innumerable  occasions.  He  has  travelled  on 
foot  throughout  a large  part  of  the  four  mil- 
lion square  miles  of  China,  and,  under  vari- 


INTRODUCTORY 


11 


ous  disguises,  he  has  penetrated  to  almost 
every  nook  of  his  native  country  and  left 
representatives  in  almost  every  town,  build- 
ing up,  with  matchless  skill  and  patience,  an 
organization  whose  network  has  gradually 
spread  over  the  whole  of  that  vast  Em- 
pire. 

More,  he  has  drawn  upon  the  huge  reserve 
of  Chinese  scattered  in  thousands  all  over 
the  world,  and  to  his  countrymen  in  America, 
Honolulu,  Japan,  the  Malay  Peninsula  and 
the  Straits  Settlements  he  has  carried  the 
message  of  revolt  against  the  Manchu  dy- 
nasty— the  dynasty  that  every  Chinese 
hates  instinctively.  He  has  visited  these 
exiles  repeatedly,  gaining  with  each  visit 
some  new  recruit  or  gleaning  information 
that  made  possible  some  further  avenue  of 
activity  inside  the  Flowery  Land.  He  has 
bought  arms  in  Europe  to  smuggle  them 
through  under  the  very  nose  of  the  authori- 
ties. He  has  made  friends  at  many  Euro- 
pean Embassies,  and — hardest  task  of  all — 
he  has  induced  the  Powers,  through  their 
representatives,  to  hold  their  hands  whilst 
China  worked  out  her  own  salvation. 

All  this  he  has  done,  aided  at  first  by  only 
a few  devoted  friends,  without  resources  of 
his  own,  and  with  his  life  and  safety  per- 
petually menaced  by  the  ubiquitous  Manchu 


12 


SUN  YAT  SEX 


agents,  who  have  left  no  stone  unturned  to 
destroy  him  or  his  influence. 

That  he  has  succeeded  so  far  as  to  bring 
China  within  sight  of  deliverance  stamps 
him  as  one  of  the  most  remarkable  men  of 
our  time.  We  have  only  to  reflect  for  a 
moment  upon  the  magnitude  of  his  task,  to 
recall  the  almost  overwhelming  obstacles 
confronting  him,  to  realize  how  great  a part 
he  has  played  in  the  world’s  history. 

For  if  ever  there  was  a countiy  that  of- 
fered difficulties  to  the  organizing  of  a 
revolution,  that  surely  was  China.  First, 
there  is  the  almost  overwhelming  magnitude 
of  the  territory.  To  say  that  China  has  an 
area  of  4,218,201  square  miles  is  only  to  con- 
fuse the  mind.  But  when  we  remember  that 
the  Empire  is  one-third  larger  than  all 
Europe,  that  it  is  bigger  than  the  United 
States,  with  Alaska  and  Great  Britain  thrown 
in  (it  is,  in  fact,  a fourth  of  the  habitable 
globe),  we  get  some  idea  of  its  immensity. 
To  arrange  for  men  to  act  in  concert  over 
an  area  so  great  as  this,  or  any  large  portion 
of  it,  is  to  overcome  a difficulty  that  seems 
almost  insuperable.  Then  consider  the  tem- 
perament of  the  people.  They  have  been  de- 
scribed as  moving  less  in  centuries  than 
Western  people  do  in  decades.”  ‘‘For 
nearly  five  thousand  years,”  says  Dr.  Arthur 


INTRODUCTORY 


13 


J.  Brown  in  his  book,  New  Forces  in  Old 
China,’’  they  have  lived  apart,  sufficient 
unto  themselves,  cherishing  their  own  ideals, 
plodding  along  their  well-worn  paths,  igno- 
rant of  or  indifferent  to  the  progress  of  the 
Western  world,  mechanically  memorizing 
dead  classics,  and  standing  still  compara- 
tively amid  the  tremendous  onrush  of  mod- 
ern civilization.”  The  very  resources  of 
their  own  land  they  have  allowed  to  lie 
neglected.  Baron  von  Richthofen  estimates 
that  they  have  419,000  square  miles  under- 
laid with  coal,  of  which  600,000,000,000  tons 
are  anthracite,  and  that  the  single  province 
of  Shen-si  could  supply  the  entire  world 
with  coal  for  a thousand  years.  Add  to  this, 
apparently  inexhaustible  quantities  of  iron 
ore,  and  we  have,  of  course,  the  two  products 
on  which  material  greatness  largely  depends. 
But  the  coal  and  iron  are  both  unworked! 
It  is  not  so  very  long  ago  since  the  Chinese 
Government  acquired  the  first  railway  con- 
structed in  China.  It  ran  from  Shanghai  to 
Wu-sung,  and  great  was  the  excitement  of 
the  populace ; but  no  sooner  was  it  completed 
than  the  Government  bought  it,  tore  up  the 
road-bed  and  dumped  the  engines  into  the 
river — pour  encourager  les  autres!  To-day 
the  great  bulk  of  the  population  of  China 
are  as  untouched  by  railways  as  they  are  by 


14 


SUN  YAT  SEN 


modern  thought  or  literature.  Books  on 
politics/’  said  Sun  Yat  Sen,  are  not  al- 
lowed; daily  newspapers  are  prohibited  in 
China;  the  world  around,  its  people  and 
politics,  are  shut  out ; while  no  one  below  the 
rank  of  a mandarin  of  the  seventh  rank  is 
allowed  to  read  Chinese  geography,  far  less 
foreign. 

The  laws  of  the  present  dynasty  are 
not  for  public  reading;  they  are  known  only 
to  the  highest  officials.  The  reading  of  books 
on  military  subjects  is,  in  common  with  that 
of  other  prohibited  matter,  not  only  forbid- 
den, but  is  even  punishable  by  death.  No 
one  is  allowed,  on  pain  of  death,  to  invent 
anything  new,  or  to  make  kno^vn  any  new 
discovery.  In  this  way  are  the  people  kept 
in  darkness,  while  the  Government  doles  out 
to  them  what  scraps  of  information  it  finds 
will  suit  its  own  ends.” 

That  Government’s  own  decrees  are  elo- 
quent of  the  benighted  condition  of  the  peo- 
ple and  of  the  almost  incredible  apathy  that 
has  fallen  upon  them.  Take,  for  instance, 
the  edict  issued  by  the  late  Empress  Dowager 
in  November,  1906,  in  which  she  complains 
that  officials  and  people  are  separated  by 
the  employment  of  forms  and  ceremonies  so 
as  to  make  all  matters  neglected.  These 
officials  do  not  pay  attention  to  the  welfare 


INTRODUCTORY 


15 


or  troubles  of  those  under  them,  and  often 
to  such  an  extent  are  they  inditferent  and 
corrupt  that  relatives  and  secretaries  are 
permitted  to  browbeat  and  oppress  the 
masses,  while  the  gate-keepers  and  runners 
of  the  Yamens  prey  upon  and  devour  the 
substance  of  the  people.  In  such  circum- 
stances can  any  one  expect  these  local  gov- 
ernments to  flourish?  How  can  the  spirits 
of  the  people,  moreover,  be  elevated  under 
such  a state  of  atfairs?  Dwelling  upon  this 
point  makes  us  feel  very  indignant  indeed.’’ 
Can  we  imagine  such  a confession  of  im- 
potency  being  addressed  to  a European  peo- 
ple without  exciting  the  promptest  and  most 
stimulating  of  replies?  But  the  Chinese 
grins  and  bears  it,  or  rather  he  did  until  a 
few  months  ago. 

The  fact  is  that  long  ago  there  descended 
upon  him  the  paralyzing  blight  of  spiritual 
pride,  and  until  very  recent  days  its  fetters 
have  hung  heavily  on  his  soul.  When  the 
rest  of  the  world  was  sunk  in  barbarism, 
China  had  a great,  a splendid  civilization  of 
her  own.  Her  people  had  created  great 
buildings  while  Europeans  had  no  better 
shelter  than  caves,  her  astronomers  made 
accurate  observations  two  hundred  years  be- 
fore Abraham  left  Ur.  They  used  fire- 
arms,” says  Dr.  Brown,  at  the  beginning 


16 


SUN  YAT  SEN 


of  the  Christian  era;  they  first  grew  tea, 
manufactured  gunpowder,  made  pottery, 
glue,  and  gelatine;  they  invented  printing  in 
movable  types  five  hundred  years  before  that 
art  was  known  in  Europe;  they  discovered 
the  principles  of  the  mariner’s  compass 
without  which  the  oceans  could  not  be 
crossed,  conceived  the  idea  of  artificial  water- 
ways, and  dug  a canal  six  hundred  miles 
long;  they  made  mountain  roads  which,  in 
the  opinion  of  Dr.  S.  Wells  Williams,  ‘ when 
new,  probably  equalled  in  engineering  and 
construction  anything  of  the  kind  ever  built 
by  the  Eomans  ’;  and  they  invented  the 
arch  to  which  our  modern  architecture  is  so 
greatly  indebted.” 

It  is  not  surprising,  therefore,  that  with 
triumphs  and  achievements  such  as  these 
to  their  credit,  and  with  no  rival,  no  com- 
petitor in  civilization,  near  their  throne,  the 
Chinese  became  wedded  to  the  idea  that  other 
nations  were  negligible  quantities,  barbari- 
ans who  did  not  count,  that  they  alone  were 
the  people,  and  wisdom  would  die  with  them. 
The  obsession  has  remained  nearly  to  our 
own  day,  and  when  Lord  Napier  proceeded 
to  Canton,  empowered  by  an  Act  of  Parlia- 
ment to  negotiate  with  the  Chinese  regard- 
ing trade  “ to  and  from  the  dominions  of  the 
Emperor  of  China,  and  for  the  purpose  of 


INTEODUCTORY 


17 


protecting  and  promoting  sucli  trade,’’  the 
Governor  of  Canton  explained  that  he  could 
not  possibly  receive  a letter  from  the  said 
barbarian,  i.e.,  Lord  Napier.  Said  he: 
<<  There  has  never  been  such  a thing  as  out- 
side barbarians  sending  a letter.  ...  It  is 
contrary  to  everything  of  dignity  and  de- 
corum. The  thing  is  most  decidedly  impos- 
sible. . . . The  barbarians  of  this  nation 
(Great  Britain)  coming  or  leaving  Canton 
have,  beyond  their  trade,  not  any  public 
business;  and  the  commissioned  officers  of 
the  Celestial  Empire  never  take  cognizance 
of  the  trivial  affairs  of  trade.  . . . The  some 
hundreds  of  thousands  of  commercial  duties 
yearly  coming  from  the  said  nation  concern 
not  the  Celestial  Empire  to  the  extent  of  a 
hair  or  a feather’s  dovm.  The  possession 
or  absence  of  them  is  utterly  unworthy  of 
one  careful  thought.” 

It  is  this  temper  of  mind  that  any  one 
bent  on  creating  a revolution  in  China 
would  find  himself  most  emphatically  “ up 
against  ” — an  insular  complacency  that  re- 
fuses even  to  consider  outside  events,  and 
accepts  its  own  surroundings  as  quite  ‘‘  the 
best  in  the  best  of  all  possible  worlds.” 
Can  one  imagine  a greater  obstacle  to  any 
projected  reform,  based  necessarily  upon  the 
experience  of  other  nations  f 


18 


SUN  YAT  SEX 


Yet  one  such  obstacle  confronted  Sun  Yat 
Sen.  Greater  than  China’s  immensity, 
greater  even  than  the  apathy  which  has 
fallen  upon  her  citizens,  was  the  hideous, 
ceaseless  pressure  of  the  Manchu  tyranny. 
Nothing  quite  like  it  has  ever  before  been 
known.  In  the  days  of  European  autocracy, 
the  power  of  the  Crown  was  always  liable  to 
effective  challenge,  first  by  the  nobles,  later 
by  Parliament.  But  in  China  there  is  no 
Parliament  and  all  the  nobles  are  Manchus, 
jealous  of  their  special  prerogatives  and  all 
despising  the  Chinese,  while  every  officer  of 
state,  from  the  governor  of  a province  down 
to  a policeman,  is  in  favor,  and  for  very 
obvious  reasons,  of  maintaining  the  despot- 
ism at  its  height.  YThy  is  this?  Again  to 
quote  from  Sun  Yat  Sen:  “ English  read- 

ers are  probably  unaware  of  the  smallness  of 
the  established  salaries  of  provincial  mag- 
nates. They  will  scarcely  credit  that  the 
Viceroy  of,  say.  Canton,  ruling  a country 
with  a population  larger  than  that  of  Great 
Britain,  is  allowed  as  his  legal  salary  the 
paltry  sum  of  £60  a year;  so  that,  in  order 
to  live  and  maintain  himself  in  office,  ac- 
cumulating fabulous  riches  the  while,  he  re- 
sorts to  extortion  and  the  selling  of  justice. 
So-called  education  and  the  results  of 
examinations  are  the  one  means  of  obtain- 


THE  GREAT  WALL  AT  NAXKOW  LASS 


INTRODUCTORY 


19 


ing  official  notice.  Granted  that  a young 
scholar  gains  distinction,  he  proceeds  to  seek 
public  employment,  and,  by  bribing  the  Pe- 
king authorities,  an  official  post  is  hoped  for. 
Once  obtained,  as  he  cannot  live  on  his  sal- 
ary, perhaps  he  even  pays  so  much  annually 
for  his  post,  license  to  squeeze  is  the  result, 
and  the  man  must  be  stupid  indeed  who  can- 
not, when  backed  up  by  Government,  make 
himself  rich  enough  to  buy  a still  higher 
post  in  a few  years.  With  advancement 
comes  increased  license  and  additional  fa- 
cility for  self-enrichment,  so  that  the  clever- 
est ‘ squeezer  ’ ultimately  can  obtain  money 
enough  to  purchase  the  highest  positions.^ 
This  official  thief,  with  his  mind  warped 
by  his  mode  of  life,  is  the  ultimate  authority 
in  all  matters  of  social,  political,  and  crimi- 
nal life.  It  is  a feudal  system,  an  imperium 
in  imperio,  an  unjust  autocracy,  which 
thrives  by  its  own  rottenness.  But  this  sys- 
tem of  fattening  on  the  public  vitals — the 


’ See  how  this  system  worked  out  as  regards  the  individual 
Chinese.  An  English  lady,  resident  near  Canton,  had  for 
many  years  an  excellent  servant  in  her  employ — veracious  and 
reliable.  He  applied  for  leave  of  absence  to  inspect  some  coal- 
mines in  which  his  savings  had  been  invested.  He  would  be 
absent  only  a few  days,  he  said.  Alas  ! he  was  absent  some 
months,  and  returned  an  emaciated  wreck.  He  had  been 
seized  by  a mandarin — imprisoned,  beaten,  tortured,  and  made 
to  surrender  his  shares  in  the  mines. 


20 


SUX  YAT  SEX 


selling  of  power — is  the  chief  means  by 
which  the  Manchu  dynasty  continues  to  ex- 
ist. With  this  legalized  corruption  stamped 
as  the  highest  ideal  of  government,  who  can 
wonder  at  the  strong  undercurrent  of  dissat- 
isfaction among  the  people?  ’’ 

Thus  has  the  Manchu  dynasty  been  main- 
tained! It  may  be  said,  even  so,  was  it  not 
still  open  to  wise  and  patriotic  Chinese  to 
make  some  organized  effort  to  instruct  the 
people  ? 

That  is  a question  natural  for  any  West- 
erner to  ask.  To  a Chinese  it  appears  too 
extravagant  to  answer,  because  there  is  an 
obstacle  to  the  execution  of  such  a project, 
which  would  be  present  to  his  mind  the  mo- 
ment it  was  proposed. 

At  first  blush  there  is  something  wildly 
incredible  about  the  idea  of  a single  clan 
able  to  exercise  espionage  over  an  entire 
empire,  and  that  empire  the  vastest  in  the 
world.  But  what  are  the  facts?  The  Man- 
chus  have  only  kept  their  hold  upon  China 
by  a system  of  terrorism  and  spying.  The 
eye  of  the  Emperor  is  everywhere — in  the 
most  humble  cottage  of  the  most  remote  vil- 
lage; in  the  crowded  workroom;  at  the  fac- 
tory gate;  in  the  railway  carriage;  at  the 
domestic  fireside;  everywhere!  China  has 
been  honeycombed  by  an  army  of  spies — 


INTEODUCTORY 


21 


spies  who  report  a word,  a hint  of  sedition, 
who  act  silently  and  swiftly,  and  whose 
superiors  strike  ruthlessly;  spies  who  betray 
the  confidences  of  relatives,  the  secrets  of 
friends,  who  are  without  compunction,  whose 
very  identity  is  unsuspected  and  from  whose 
inquisition  nothing  is  hidden.  Let  a stranger 
come  to  a village  in  China,  and  within  a 
few  hours  the  authorities  are  informed;  let 
a man  whisper  treason,  and  his  life  is  for- 
feit. The  very  interior  of  the  palace  itself 
is  infested  with  agents  and  eunuchs  whose 
ears  are  strained  to  catch  the  faintest  whis- 
per of  the  hated  word  ‘‘  reform,”  and  who 
spy  even  upon  the  secret  councils  of  their 
master,  so  that  when,  twelve  years  ago, 
Kuang  Hsii,  the  reforming  Emperor,  dared 
to  contemplate  some  mitigation  of  the  Man- 
chu  prerogatives,  he  was  seized,  conveyed  a 
prisoner  to  an  island  palace,  and  relegated 
to  the  nothingness  of  harem  life.” 

But  where  the  Emperor  failed.  Sun  Yat 
Sen  succeeded.  He  has  triumphed  over 
three  obstacles  to  revolution  that  seemed  in- 
superable. First,  an  empire  chaotic  and  im- 
mense; secondly,  a people  steeped  in  con- 
temptuous ignorance;  lastly,  a despotism 
that  stood  armed  at  all  points  between  the 
people  and  every  avenue  of  knowledge.  Let 
us  see  how  he  contrived  to  overcome  them. 


n 


SUN  YAT  SEN:  THE  MAN  AND  HIS 
WOBK 

IN  1894  Dr.  Sim  Yat  Sen  joined  a society 
in  Canton  of  some  eighteen  prominent 
members  whose  object  was  the  mending 
or  ending  of  the  Manchn  monarchical  power. 
In  1912  this  great  work  was  accomplished. 
Of  the  eighteen  members  seventeen  were  be- 
headed shortly  after  the  inception  of  the 
idea,  and  Sim  was  the  only  member  of  the 
original  conspirators  ” left  to  carry  on 
the  great  upheaval.  On  February  12,  1912, 
the  Manchu  Emperor  abdicated  and  Sun  Yat 
Sen’s  purpose  and  life-work  was  accom- 
plished. Others  have  helped  him,  others 
have  granted  him  sympathy  and  advice, 
others  have  given  freely  of  their  substance 
to  carry  on  the  work,  but  as  the  inceptor, 
the  organizer,  and  the  focus  of  aU  this  great 
work  Sun  Yat  Sen  stands  alone,  ffistory 
will  assign  him  his  proper  place,  but  to  the 
onlooker  of  to-day  it  is  difficult  to  anticipate 
fully  the  tribute  of  credit  which  will  be  his. 

22 


SUN  YAT  SEN  AND  HIS  SON  IN  1911 


THE  MAN  AND  HIS  WORK  23 


The  modern  world  professes  to  dislike 
heroes  and  heroics ; everything  tends  to 
strangle  heroes  ’’  in  these  later  times,  and 
Sun  Yat  Sen  would  have  been  strangled  in 
fact  on  many  occasions  had  not  a power 
which  may  well  be  termed  supernatural  pre- 
served him  through  storm  and  strife  to  ac- 
complish his  destiny.  Not  only  did  his  own 
countrymen  set  a price  on  his  head  and  make 
many  attempts  to  silence  him  for  ever;  not 
only  have  the  official  foreign  representatives 
in  Peking  held  his  name  and  his  aims  in  con- 
tempt, passing  him  by  with  contumely  as  but 
a loud-tongued  demagogue,  but  certain  im- 
portant newspapers,  even  when  the  whole 
world  hung  on  his  decisions  concerning 
China’s  future,  hesitated  to  print  his  very 
name,  or  to  refer  to  his  being,  hoping  there- 
by no  doubt  to  minimize  his  influence  and 
if  possible  to  obliterate  his  power.  What 
could  this  man,  born  of  humble  parents  in 
an  out-of-the-way  Chinese  village,  know  of 
sovereigns,  of  principalities,  and  powers? 
What  could  he  do  to  upset  an  established 
dynasty  and  to  uproot  an  ancient  form  of 
government  which  had  held  sway  in  China 
for  centuries  and  controlled  the  destinies  of 
some  400,000,000  people? 

He  was  declared  to  have  neither  influence, 
money,  nor  the  training  considered  neces- 


24 


SUN  YAT  SEX 


sary  to  organize  a revolt,  the  magnitude  of 
which  has  never  been  surpassed.  He  was  at 
best  a poor  doctor  who  by  a struggle  gath- 
ered sufficient  money  together  to  keep  him 
alive  whilst  yet  he  learned  the  rudiments  of 
science  and  acquired  a knowledge  of  medi- 
cine. A poor  training,  it  would  seem,  for  his 
life’s  work,  but  one  which  helped  him  to  at- 
tain his  ends  and  to  bring  salvation  to  his 
fellow-countrymen.  Sun,  however,  had  a 
greater  power  than  either  position,  money  or 
education  could  give  him. 

Though  deep-seated  discontent  simmered 
in  the  land,  it  seemed  impossible  to  develop 
a master-mind  in  China  fitted  for  the  great 
task  of  reform  from  amongst  the  rich,  the 
powerful,  the  families  of  ancient  lineage,  or 
the  philosophic  literati;  so  Providence  se- 
lected a man  from  the  humbler  classes,  a 
man  endowed  with  gifts  which  money  can- 
not buy,  nor  all  the  learning  of  East  or  West 
produce.  What  were  these  gifts?  Accord- 
ing to  Christian  doctrines  they  may  be 
summed  in  the  words.  Faith,  Hope,  and 
Charity — a firm  faith  in  the  belief  that  was 
within  him;  hope  for  the  speedy  regenera- 
tion of  China,  and  charity  towards  neighbors. 
Charity  in  the  true  sense  of  the  word  is 
Sun’s  outstanding  characteristic.  An  unkind 
thought,  far  less  an  unkind  word,  is  foreign 


THE  MAN  AND  HIS  WOKK  25 


to  his  nature ; a keen  regard  for  the  feelings 
of  those  around  him  is  apparent  in  his  every 
word  and  deed ; unselfishness  to  a degree  un- 
dreamt of  amongst  modern  men ; a living  ex- 
pression of  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount.  Such 
are  some  of  the  gifts  of  this  extraordinary 
man;  gifts  which  command  success,  which 
bind  his  friends  to  him  with  hoops  of 
steel,”  and  have,  not  only  amongst  his  coun- 
trymen, but  also  amongst  the  few  Europeans 
and  Americans  who  know  Sun  Yat  Sen  as  he 
is,  found  men  willing  to  devote  their  ener- 
gies, their  time,  their  very  lives  to  forward 
his  aims,  not  alone  for  the  cause  he  has  at 
heart,  but  also  for  the  man  himself.  The 
secret  of  his  success  is  unselfishness — seeking 
only  his  country’s  good,  not  his  own  advance- 
ment; a patriot  indeed  with  no  axe  to  grind, 
no  place  seeker,  willing  to  rule  if  called  upon, 
ready  and  anxious  to  stand  aside  when  the 
interests  of  his  country  are  to  be  benefited 
thereby. 

Why  was  he  listened  to  by  his  astute 
countrymen,  when  all  others  had  failed  in  re- 
generating China?  Why?  The  transparent 
honesty  of  the  man;  his  manifest  patriotism; 
the  simplicity  of  his  character ; the  readiness 
to  endure  all  for  his  country’s  sake,  even  tor- 
ture and  death.  Persecuted,  imprisoned, 
slighted,  a price  set  on  his  head,  stamped 


1 


26 


SUN  YAT  SEN 


as  an  outcast  and  turned  out  of  home  and 
country,  refused  shelter  now  by  one  nation, 
now  by  another,  until  the  \sdde  world  seemed 
to  afford  no  place  of  safety  where  he  could 
find  rest.  Neither  in  fact  nor  in  fiction, 
neither  in  history  nor  in  the  ideals  of  ro- 
mance has  any  author  dared  to  endow  the 
heroes  of  his  creation  with  persecutions  such 
as  his;  for  under  no  flag  was  he  safe;  nor 
in  the  uttermost  parts  of  the  earth,  for  a 
period  of  well-nigh  twenty  years,  could  he 
feel  that  a cruel  death  was  not  imminent. 

The  idea  of  getting  rid  of  the  Manchus 
was  no  modern  idea  in  China.  A powerful 
and  widespread  body,  The  Triad  Society,’’ 
had  existed  almost  ever  since  the  Manchus 
ascended  the  throne,  but  it  consisted  of  men 
of  philosophic  ideas  without  the  capability 
or  courage  to  put  their  ideas  into  practice. 
It  was  not  until  Sun  Yat  Sen  came  to  the 
front  that  the  idea  was  given  concrete  shape 
and  brought  to  practical  issue ; the  old  Triad 
Society,  however,  gave  little  direct  help  dur- 
ing the  recent  crisis,  the  members  being 
afraid  of  action,  for  they  well  knew  what 
failure  meant.  In  China  the  death  penalty 
was  ever  at  hand  when  reforms  were  even 
whispered,  and  it  was  only  when  Sun  took 
his  life  in  his  hand  and  boldly  declared  his 
intentions  that  any  one  was  found  cour- 


THE  MAN  AND  HIS  WOEK  27 


ageous  enough  to  denounce  the  Throne 
openly. 

Sun  Yat  Sen  was  born  in  1867  in  the 
province  of  Kwang-tung,  in  a remote  village 
situated  between  the  city  of  Canton  and  the 
Portuguese  colony  of  Macao,  some  thirty 
miles  south  of  Hong  Kong.  His  father  was 
a convert  to  Christianity,  and  was  employed 
as  a missionary  agent  by  the  London  Mis- 
sionary Society.  An  English  lady  connected 
with  the  mission  interested  herself  in  the 
young  lad,  and  by  her  help  Sun  was  well 
grounded  in  English.  At  the  age  of  eighteen 
Sun  became  attached  to  the  hospital  of  the 
Anglo-American  Mission  in  Canton,  then 
under  the  direction  of  a surgeon  of  consider- 
able repute.  Dr.  Kerr.  He  became  deeply 
interested  in  medicine  and  surgery,  and  when 
twenty  years  of  age  he  came  to  Hong  Kong 
to  prosecute  his  studies  in  the  newly,  opened 
College  of  Medicine. 

It  was  in  Hong  Kong  in  1887  I first  met 
Sun  Yat  Sen;  he  came  as  a student  to  the 
College  of  Medicine  for  Chinese  established 
in  October  of  that  year.  I conceived  the  idea 
of  establishing  a college  of  the  kind  on  my 
way  out  to  China,  and  from  the  time  I landed 
there  in  June,  1887,  until  October  of  that 
year  I followed  up  the  idea  and  found  ready 
help  from  Dr.  (now  Sir)  Patrick  Manson, 


28 


SUN  YAT  SEN 


Dr.  Wm.  Hartigan,  Dr.  Jordan,  Mr.  (now 
Sir)  Janies  Stewart  Lockhart,  Governor  of 
Wei-hai-wei,  and  perhaps  most  important  of 
all.  Ho  Kai  (now  Sir  Ho  Kai),  M.D.,  Aber- 
deen, and  barrister-at-law.  Ho  Kai,  in  lov- 
ing memory  of  bis  wife,  Alice,  an  English 
lady,  founded  a hospital  in  Hong  Kong,  un- 
der the  auspices  of  the  London  Missionary 
Society,  and  styled  it  the  Alice  Memorial 
Hospital.’’  There  the  College  of  Medicine 
held  its  classes,  and  within  its  walls  the 
students  were  given  instruction  in  practical 
medicine  and  surgery.  The  college  flourished 
largely  owing  to  the  exertions  of  Dr.  J.  C. 
Thomson,  and  several  of  the  medical  and 
scientific  men  in  Hong  Kong  have  devotedly 
continued  the  work  without  payment  or  re- 
ward of  any  kind.  The  College  of  Medicine 
is  now  merged  in  the  University  of  Hong 
Kong,  and  what  should  be,  and  what  will 
become,  if  properly  supported,  the  nucleus 
of  the  greatest  centre  of  Western  teaching 
for  China,  was  thus  brought  unpretentiously, 
but  none  the  less  effectively,  into  being. 

After  five  years’  study  Sun  obtained  the 
diploma  to  practise  medicine  and  surgery 
from  the  College  of  Medicine.  He  was  the 
first  graduate  of  the  College;  and  shortly 
afterwards  he  commenced  to  practise  his 
profession  in  the  Portuguese  colony  of 


THE  MAN  AND  HIS  WORK  29 


Macao.  He  was  tempted  thither  from  the 
fact  that  Macao  was  adjacent  to  the  village 
in  which  he  was  born,  and  because  he  had 
many  friends  in  the  district.  In  a large,  well- 
built  hospital  Chinese  patients  were  treated 
according  to  native  methods.  Sun  impressed 
upon  the  Chinese  governors  of  the  hospital 
the  importance  and  benefits  of  Western  medi- 
cine; the  future  emancipator  of  China  com- 
mended himself  to  these  old-world-bred  men 
by  his  honesty  and  unselfishness,  as  he  did 
later  to  the  whole  mass  of  his  countiymen. 
He  persuaded  them  to  open  the  portals  of 
the  hospital  to  admit  him  with  his  newly 
acquired  knowledge.  With  a largeness  of 
mind  characteristic  of  the  Chinese  the  gov- 
ernors said,  Certainly,  we  will  devote  this 
wing  of  the  hospital  to  European  methods, 
and  the  other  to  Chinese  practice,  and  we  will 
judge  the  results.”  Is  there  another  people 
in  the  world  who  would  have  answered  thusi 
I doubt  it.  It  was  the  action  of  large- 
minded,  broad-viewed,  high-principled,  un- 
prejudiced men;  an  action  characteristic,  to 
those  who  know  the  Chinese,  a people  en- 
dowed with  lofty  ideas  and  willing  to  act 
upon  them  when  thoroughly  convinced  of 
their  possible  benefits. 

The  Chinese  are  ready  students,  earnest 
in  their  endeavor,  quick  to  understand,  re- 


30 


SUN  YAT  SEN 


tentive  of  memory.  It  was  perhaps  the  last- 
named  feature  that  astonished  one  most.  In 
Chinese  schools  everything  is  given  over  to 
training  the  memory.  Knowledge,  as  we 
understand  it,  is  quite  a secondary  factor  in 
the  so-called  education  given  in  Chinese 
schools.  Moreover,  no  real  instruction  is 
permitted  to  be  given  to  the  people  accord- 
ing to  Manchu  laws.  Eepetition,  unceasing 
repetition,  is  the  essence  of  school-life  in 
China.  The  mind  is  stored  with  words  and 
sounds  often  wholly  unintelligible  to  the 
scholar  nor  understood  by  the  teacher.  The 
effect  of  this  constant  repetition  and  memo- 
rizing is  to  develop  a retentiveness  of  memory 
to  a degree  unbelievable  to  those  who  have 
not  come  into  contact  with  Oriental  students. 
A good  example  of  the  surprising  extent  to 
which  memory  can  be  cultivated  occurred  at 
one  of  the  professional  examinations  for  the 
diploma  of  the  College  of  Medicine.  The 
questions  were  answered  perfectly,  but  on 
comparing  the  papers  it  was  found  that  the 
answers  were  identical.  Paragraphs,  sen- 
tences, full  stops,  and  commas  were  so  placed 
that  it  did  not  matter  which  of  the  papers 
was  looked  at.  The  wording  was  the  same. 
The  examiners,  new  to  Chinese  methods  of 
instruction,  insisted  on  another  paper  being 
set,  as  they  believed  the  students  had  by 


THE  MAN  AND  HIS  WORK  31 


some  means  copied  from  each  other.  A fresh 
paper  of  five  questions  was  set,  and  a careful 
watch  kept  during  the  examination.  Again 
the  answers  were  correct  and  identical  in 
every  point,  and  it  was  only  when  the  text- 
book recommended  to  the  class  was  referred 
to  that  an  explanation  was  forthcoming. 
They  knew  the  large  text-book  of  some  five 
hundred  pages  by  heart,  and  could  answer 
any  question  put  them  word  for  word  from 
the  book. 

Sun  commenced  practice,  and  I encouraged 
him  especially  in  surgical  work.  When  ma- 
jor operations  had  to  be  done  I went  on  sev- 
eral occasions  to  Macao  to  assist  him,  and 
there,  in  the  presence  of  the  governors  of  the 
hospital,  he  performed  important  operations, 
requiring  skill,  coolness  of  judgment,  and 
dexterity.  It  was  a goodly  journey  to  Macao 
by  sea,  and  took  me  away  a considerable  time 
from  my  daily  routine  of  work.  Why  did  I 
go  this  journey  to  Macao  to  help  this  man! 
For  the  reason  that  others  have  fought  for 
and  died  for  him,  because  I loved  and  re- 
spected him.  His  is  a nature  that  draws 
men^s  regard  towards  him  and  makes  them 
ready  to  serve  him  at  the  operating-table  or 
on  the  battlefield ; an  unexplainable  influence, 
a magnetism  which  prevails  and  finds  its  ex- 
pression in  attracting  men  to  his  side. 


32 


SUN  YAT  SEN 


Surgical  work  is  not  conducted  in  China 
with  the  privacy  that  attends  similar  work 
with  us.  At  Sun’s  operations  the  lay  com- 
mittee of  the  hospital  came  and  seated  them- 
selves near  the  operating-table,  and  the  rela- 
tives and  friends  of  the  patient  stood  around 
watching  the  proceedings  attentively.  Es- 
pecially did  the  manipulations  in  cutting  for 
stone  interest  the  onlookers.  It  was  an 
operation  that  appealed  to  most  men  in  that 
part  of  the  country,  for  stone  was  not  an 
uncommon  ailment  in  the  neighborhood.  The 
necessary  incisions  to  reach  the  stone  re- 
quired a good  deal  of  “ fanning  ” on  the  part 
of  the  onlookers  to  keep  them  from  fainting 
— every  man  carries  a fan  in  the  south  of 
China;  but  when  the  stone  was  produced 
their  qualms  were  forgotten,  and  the  rejoic- 
ings and  “ Hi-yas  ” of  astonishment  showed 
they  were  amply  rewarded  for  the  trying 
ordeal  they  had  gone  through. 

There  is  much  publicity  in  illness  in  China, 
and  the  doctor’s  attendance  is  often  made 
almost  a public  function.  A foreign  doctor’s 
visit  is  of  great  interest,  especially  in  the 
country  districts  and  villages.  He  is  fol- 
lowed by  all  and  sundry  to  the  house,  and 
amongst  a group  of  friends  around  the 
patient,  with  the  villagers  peering  round  the 
doorway  and  occupjdng  every  point  of  van- 


THE  MAN  AND  HIS  WORK  33 


tage,  he  has  to  proceed  to  diagnose  the  nature 
of  the  illness  or  treat  a surgical  defect. 

That  the  Chinese  medical  students  are  no 
mere  hookworms,  as  their  examination  pa- 
pers would  appear  to  show,  but  endowed  with 
a practical  sense  of  their  duties  was  brought 
to  light  when  plague  broke  out  in  Hong 
Kong  in  1894.  For  work  in  the  plague  hos- 
pital under  the  control  of  the  Alice  Memorial 
Hospital,  with  which  the  College  of  Medicine 
was  affiliated,  the  students  readily  and  spon- 
taneously volunteered  for  duty  in  the  wards. 
This  may  seem  a small  matter  to-day,  but  in 
1894  epidemic  plague  was  an  unknown  dis- 
ease for  some  two  hundred  years  in  either 
China  or  Europe,  and  the  only  accurate  ac- 
count of  its  ravages  was  gathered  from  de- 
scriptions of  the  Great  Plague  of  London 
in  the  seventeenth  century,  when  exposure 
to  infection  meant  death. 

Yet  with  the  terrors  of  the  disease  before 
them,  when  many  of  their  friends  and  rela- 
tions were  dead  or  dying  of  the  disease,  and 
the  population  fleeing  from  the  plague- 
stricken  city,  these  students  took  up  their 
duties  in  the  wards,  as  clerks,  dressers,  and 
even  nurses — awards  in  which  every  patient 
attacked  died.  A more  noble  example  of 
faithfulness  to  their  profession  and  heroic 
devotion  has  never  been  recorded.  Prowess  on 


34 


SUN  YAT  SEN 


the  battlefield,  fighting  in  the  stir  of  strife, 
is  one  thing,  but  to  fact  death  in  a plague 
hospital,  or  a cholera  camp,  when  all  around 
are  dying,  and  to  continue  calmly  at  work 
day  after  day,  night  after  night,  and  week 
after  week,  requires  courage  of  another  or- 
der. Gordon  may  have  been  proud  of  the 
valor  of  his  Chinese  troops,  but  those  of  us 
who  saw  the  work  the  Chinese  students  did 
during  that  epidemic  of  plague  are  willing  to 
bestow  upon  them  a higher  meed  of  praise 
than  ever  was  acclaimed  to  the  soldiers  of 
Genghis  Khan,  before  whose  very  name  the 
continents  of  Asia  and  Europe  trembled. 
The  work  of  these  students  shows  that  China 
has  men  within  its  fold  capable  of  the  high- 
est courage  and  devotion  to  duty. 

One  of  the  first  diversions  which  I insti- 
tuted for  the  students  from  hospital  work 
and  lectures  was  the  formation  of  a military 
ambulance  company.  After  getting  the  stu- 
dents proficient  in  first  aid  and  ambu- 
lance drill  and  providing  a suitable  uniform, 
I offered  my  company  to  the  commandant  of 
the  Hong  Kong  Volunteer  Artillery.  The 
offer  was  accepted,  and  for  years  the  Chinese 
students  acted  as  the  Ambulance  Department 
of  the  Corps.  I had  just  given  up  the  com- 
mand of  the  Volunteer  Medical  Staff  Corps, 
now  the  K.A.M.C.  (T.F.),  in  London,  and 


THE  MAN  AND  HIS  WOEK  35 


found  that  the  Chinese  students  compared 
quite  favorably  with  the  London  medical 
students  in  their  aptitude  and  efficiency.  I 
also  induced  the  students  to  play  cricket,  and 
several  of  them,  Sun  included,  gave  promise 
of  becoming  good  all-round  cricketers,  an 
accomplishment  which  in  English  eyes  will 
at  once  commend  the  young  men  to  favorable 
consideration. 

In  Macao,  Sun  first  heard  of  The  Young 
China  Party,”  a legend  we  have  become 
familiar  with  in  relation  to  the  Young 
Turkish  Party.”  Had  there  been  a Sun  Yat 
Sen  in  Turkey  the  revolution  of  that  party 
would  have  been  a success ; there  are  in  Tur- 
key revolutionists  in  plenty,  but  few  true 
patriots,  otherwise  she  would  now  be  on  the 
high  road  to  success  and  liberty.  Sun,  how- 
ever, had  to  quit  Macao,  because,  under  Por- 
tuguese regulations,  no  one  not  possessing 
a Portuguese  diploma  could  legitimately 
practise  there,  and  so  he  removed  to  Can- 
ton to  work.  The  activities,  however,  of  the 
reform  party  became  so  pronounced,  and  Sun 
became  so  prominent  amongst  his  colleagues, 
that  he  found  little  time  for  any  work  except 
political.  How  the  attempt  to  capture  Can- 
ton and  its  arsenal  failed  is  told  later  on; 
how  of  all  the  prominent  reformers  Sun  was 
the  only  one  to  escape  alive  is  well  known. 


36 


SUN  YAT  SEN 


With  Sun’s  many  escapes  my  wife  and  my- 
self have  been  made,  from  time  to  time,  fully 
acquainted,  but  it  was  not  my  intention  to 
relate  them  until  given  permission  to  do  so 
by  Sun  himself.  In  the  Strand  Magazine y 
April,  1912,  Sun  gives  an  account  of  several 
of  these.  His  first  escape  was  soon  after  he 
came  to  Canton  after  giving  up  his  practice 
in  Macao.  He  had  enrolled  himself  as  a mem- 
ber of  the  Young  China  Party,  and  in  1894 
formed  a branch  of  the  Kao-lao-hui  in  Can- 
ton. Knowing  that  the  Emperor  Kuang 
Hsu  had  serious  intentions  of  introducing  re- 
forms in  governmental  methods.  Sun  for- 
warded a petition  signed  by  many  of  his 
adherents  to  the  Emperor.  All  was  quiet 
until  the  war  with  Japan  w^as  settled,  when 
the  imperious  Dowager-Empress  reassumed 
the  direction  of  atfairs  and  denounced  the 
intentions  of  the  Emperor  and  all  reformers. 
With  the  cessation  of  hostilities  against 
Japan,  a number  of  the  disbanded  soldiers 
in  Canton  became  riotous  owing  to  want  of 
pay  and  employment.  The  Canton  police  at 
the  same  time,  owing  to  their  pay  not  being 
forthcoming,  took  to  looting  the  shops  in  the 
city.  A meeting  of  indignant  citizens  was 
held,  an  unheard-of  proceeding,  and  a depu- 
tation five  hundred  strong  presented  them- 
selves at  the  house  of  the  Governor  of  the 


THE  MAN  AND  HIS  WOKK  37 


city.  After  hearing  their  demands  the  Gov- 
ernor regarded  their  presumption  in  the  light 
of  a rebellion  and  arrested  the  ringleaders. 
Sun  had  the  good  fortune  to  escape,  but  de- 
termined forthwith  to  rescue  his  companions 
who  had  been  seized.  That  was  his  first 
escape. 

His  second  was  more  precarious.  In  the 
city  of  Swatow,  some  hundred  and  fifty  miles 
north  of  Canton,  something  like  a rebellion 
had  prevailed  for  some  time.  Sun  and  his 
colleagues  approached  the  revolutionaries 
and  found  them  willing  to  join  forces  with 
him.  The  bold  plan  was  then  formed  of  seiz- 
ing the  city  of  Canton  as  the  only  means 
whereby  they  could  get  what  they  considered 
their  just  claims  conceded.  Rifles,  pistols, 
ammunition,  and  even  dynamite  were  col- 
lected from  every  possible  source,  and  a re- 
cruiting agent  was  sent  to  Hong  Kong  to 
enlist  men  and  to  purchase  arms. 

The  plot  so  far  succeeded,  but  when  all 
seemed  ready  news  came  from  Swatow  that 
the  men  could  not  move,  as  information  con- 
cerning the  rising  had  leaked  out  and  the 
Government  had  the  Tartar  garrisons  under 
arms  and  ready  for  action.  Without  the 
Swatow  force  nothing  could  be  accomplished ; 
and  telegrams  were  sent  to  Hong  Kong  to 
stop  the  sailing  of  the  contingent.  The  men. 


38 


SUN  YAT  SEN 


some  four  hundred  strong,  were  on  the  quay 
at  Hong  Kong  ready  to  go  aboard  the  steamer 
for  Canton.  Several  barrels  containing  pis- 
tols had  been  already  shipped  when  the  offi- 
cer in  charge  of  the  contingent  received  a 
telegram  telling  him  not  to  proceed  to  Can- 
ton and  to  disband  the  men.  The  officer, 
however,  unfortunately  misread  the  telegram 
and  allowed  the  men  to  embark,  with  the  re- 
sult that  they  were  captured  in  a body  on 
reaching  Canton.  Thereupon,  the  Central 
Reform  Committee  broke  up  their  head- 
quarters in  Canton,  burnt  their  papers,  hid 
their  arms,  and  escaped  from  the  city  as  best 
they  could. 

Sun  gained  a friend’s  house;  at  night  he 
was  let  down  over  the  city  wall  and  sought 
refuge  on  the  canal  banks  to  the  south  of 
the  city.  Here  he  wandered  on  towards 
home,  now  travelling  in  canal  boats,  now 
seeking  the  shore  when  soldiers  came  to 
search  the  boats  for  refugees,  and  finally 
reaching  Macao,  where  he  was  hidden  by 
friends.  Macao,  however,  became  too  dan- 
gerous, and  he  went  from  thence  to  Hong 
Kong,  then  to  Kobe  and  from  there  to 
Honolulu. 

It  was  not  until  fully  a year  after  the  Can- 
ton affair,  when  on  my  way  home  from  China, 
via  Honolulu  across  America,  that  I knew  of 


THE  MAN  AND  HIS  WORK  39 


his  whereabouts.  The  vehicle  in  which  I was 
driving  with  my  wife,  and  a Japanese  nurse 
in  charge  of  my  son,  through  the  streets  of 
Honolulu  was  stopped  by  a man,  apparently 
a Japanese,  looking  very  trim  in  European 
dress  and  with  a moustache  of  respectable 
dimensions,  who  proffered  his  hand,  raised 
his  hat,  and  smiled  affably.  We  all  regarded 
him  with  astonishment;  the  Japanese  nurse 
addressed  him  in  J apanese,  but  he  shook  his 
head  in  response,  and  it  was  some  time  before 
we  recognized  it  was  Sun  minus  his  cue  and 
Chinese  dress.  A cordial  greeting  ensued 
and  a visit  to  us  in  London  was  arranged. 

The  resemblance  of  the  Chinese  to  his 
Japanese  neighbor  when  he  is  got-up  ’’  in 
the  same  way  is  most  marked;  so  identical 
do  the  two  appear,  that  when  we  visited  a 
shop  in  Honolulu  the  shopman  addressed 
Sun,  who  was  with  us,  in  Japanese,  and 
would  not  believe  his  repeated  statement  that 
he  was  not  Japanese,  but  Chinese.  Should 
the  Chinese  follow  the  example  of  the  Japa- 
nese and  lay  aside  their  national  dress,  the 
identity  of  each  will  possibly  disappear,  and 
even  the  two  peoples  will  not  be  able  to  recog- 
nize by  their  appearance  to  which  nationality 
they  belong.  A pity  in  many  ways,  yet  evi- 
dently an  inevitable  result  of  the  modern- 
izing of  both  China  and  Japan. 


40 


SUN  YAT  SEN 


Sun  gives  the  following  account  of  his  ex- 
periences, about  this  time ; he  savs : 

‘‘  At  Hong  Kong  my  safety  was  hardly  moie  as- 
sured, and  on  Dr.  Canthe’s  advice  I went  to  see 
a lawyer,  Mr.  Dennis,  who  told  me  that  my  best 
protection  was  instant  flight. 

‘‘  ‘ Peking’s  arm,  though  weaker,  is  still  a long 
one,  ’ he  said,  and  in  whichever  part  of  the  world 
you  go,  you  must  expect  to  hear  of  the  Tsung-h- 
Yamen.’ 

“ Fortunately,  friends  provided  me  with  funds, 
and  here  I must  mention  the  constant  fldehty  of 
well-wishers  to  the  great  cause  I have  aU  these 
years  endeavored  to  promote.  They  have  never 
faded  me.  But  then,  fortunately,  apart  from  trav- 
elling, my  wants  are  few.  I have  often  for  weeks 
together  hved  on  a little  rice  and  water,  and  I have 
journeyed  many  hundreds  of  miles  on  foot.  At 
other  times  I have  had  difficulty  in  refusing  the 
large  sums  placed  at  my  disposal,  for  some  of  my 
countrraen  in  America  are  very  rich,  generous, 
and  patriotic. 

‘‘  At  Kobe,  whither  I fled  from  Hong  Kong,  I 
took  a step  of  great  importance.  I cut  off  my 
cue,  which  had  been  growing  aU  my  life.  For 
some  days  I had  not  shaved  my  head,  and  I al- 
lowed the  hair  to  grow  on  my  upper  hp.  Then  I 
went  out  to  a clothier’s  and  bought  a suit  of  mod- 
em Japanese  garments.  When  I was  fully  dressed 
I looked  in  the  mirror,  and  was  astonished — and  a 
good  deal  reassured — by  the  transformation.  Na- 
ture had  favored  me.  I was  darker  in  complexion 


THE  MAN  AND  HIS  WORK  41 


than  most  Chinese,  a trait  I had  inherited  from 
luy  mother,  for  my  father  resembled  more  the  reg- 
ular type.  I have  seen  it  said  that  I have  Malay 
blood  in  my  veins,  and  also  that  I was  born  in 
Honolulu.  Both  these  statements  are  false.  I am 
purely  Chinese,  as  far  as  I know;  but  after  the 
Japanese  War,  when  the  natives  of  Japan  began  to 
be  treated  with  more  respect,  I had  no  trouble, 
when  I had  let  my  hair  and  moustache  grow,  in 
passing  for  a Japanese.  I admit  I owe  a great 
deal  to  this  circumstance,  as  otherwise  I should 
not  have  escaped  from  many  dangerous  situations. 

“ A similar  experience  befell  me  in  Honolulu, 
where  I spent  six  months  after  leaving  Japan.  I 
found  many  of  my  countrymen  there,  and  they 
received  me  with  open  arms.  They  knew  all  about 
my  exploits,  and  they  also  knew  that  a big  price 
was  placed  on  the  head  of  the  notorious  ‘ Sun 
Wen.’  In  the  town  of  Honolulu  I held  a sort  of 
levee  every  day,  and  I received  letters  and  reports 
from  my  friends,  the  members  of  the  Reform 
Party,  the  Kao-lao-hui.  Thence  I went  to  San 
Francisco,  and  enjoyed  a sort  of  triumphal  jour- 
ney through  America,  varied  by  reports  that  the 
Chinese  Minister  to  Washington  was  doing  his  ut- 
most to  have  me  kidnapped  and  carried  back  to 
China,  where  I well  knew  the  fate  that  would  be- 
fall me — first  having  my  ankles  crushed  in  a vice 
and  broken  by  a hammer,  my  eyelids  cut  off,  and, 
finally,  be  chopped  to  small  fragments,  so  that  none 
could  claim  my  mortal  remains.  For  the  old 
Chinese  code  does  not  err  on  the  side  of  mercy  to 
political  agitators. 


42 


SUX  YAT  SEX 


I sailed  for  England  in  September,  1896,  and 
on  the  eleventh  of  the  next  month  I was  kidnapped 
at  the  Chinese  Legation  in  Portland  Place,  Lon- 
don, by  order  of  the  Chinese  Ambassador.  The 
stor>^  of  that  kidnapping  is  already  known  fully  to 
the  world.  It  is  enough  to  say  here  that  I was 
locked  up  in  a room  under  strict  surveillance  for 
twelve  days,  awaiting  my  transportation  on  board 
ship,  as  a lunatic,  back  to  China,  and  that  I should 
never  have  escaped  had  not  my  old  friend  and 
master,  Dr.  Cantlie,  been  then  Ihdng  in  London. 
To  him  I managed,  after  many  failures,  to  get 
through  a message.  He  notified  the  newspapers, 
and  the  police  and  Lord  Salisbury  intervened  at 
the  eleventh  hour  and  ordered  my  release.” 

■Many  inquiries  have  been  sent  to  me, 

How  did  you  get  information  that  Sun  was 
imprisoned  in  the  Legation?  ’’  As  usual,  a 
woman  came  to  the  rescue.  The  wife  of  one 
of  the  English  servants  in  the  Legation  heard 
from  her  husband  of  the  piteous  plight  of 
the  imprisoned  Chinese  and  sent  me  the  fol- 
lowmg  letter.  “ There  is  a friend  of  yours 
imprisoned  in  the  Chinese  Legation  here 
since  last  Sunday;  they  intend  sending  him 
out  to  China,  where  it  is  certain  they  will 
hang  him.  It  is  very  sad  for  the  poor  man, 
and  unless  something  is  done  at  once  he  will 
be  taken  away  and  no  one  will  know  it.  I 
dare  not  sign  my  name,  but  this  is  the  truth, 
so  believe  what  I sav.  Whatever  you  do 


THE  MAN  AND  HIS  WOKK  43 


must  be  done  at  once,  or  it  will  be  too  late. 
His  name  is,  I believe.  Sin  Yin  Sen.’^  The 
note  reached  my  house  at  11:30  p.m.  on  the 
night  of  Saturday,  October  17,  1896.  A ring 
at  the  door-bell  brought  me  from  my  bed.  I 
found  no  one  at  the  door,  but  observed  and 
picked  up  the  letter,  which  had  been  pushed 
in  below  the  door.  It  was  this  woman  who 
started  the  machinery  for  Sun’s  release. 
Had  this  humble  woman  failed  in  her  pur- 
pose the  regeneration  of  China  would  have 
been  thrown  back  indefinitely,  for  the  last  of 
the  reformers  would  have  lost  his  life  and  the 
Manchus  would  be  still  in  power. 

I went  to  the  head  of  the  Marylebone  police 
and  thence  to  Scotland  Yard  the  moment  I 
received  the  information  of  his  whereabouts. 
The  chief  difficulty  was  to  get  any  one  to  be- 
lieve the  story.  The  police  even  at  Scotland 
Yard  said  it  was  none  of  their  business,  and 
that  I had  done  my  duty  when  I reported  the 
matter  to  them,  and  that  I ought  to  go  home 
and  keep  quiet.  My  visit  was  at  1.30  a.m., 
and  they  told  me  the  next  day,  when  I called 
with  Sir  Patrick  Manson,  that  a man  had 
called  in  the  middle  of  the  night  with  the 
same  statement,  and  that  the  inspector  on 
duty  could  not  make  out  whether  he  was 
drunk  or  a lunatic.  I told  the  inspector  now 
on  duty  I was  the  same  man,  and  again  he 


44 


SUN  YAT  SEX 


gave  me  the  advice  to  go  home  and  keep  quiet 
and  that  they  conld  do  nothing  in  the  matter 
as  it  did  not  concern  them.  When  asked  to 
whom  I should  report  the  matter,  I was  told 
I had  done  my  duty  by  reporting  the  matter 
to  them,  and  that  was  enough. 

The  want  of  initiative  amongst  the  men 
‘‘  on  duty  at  Scotland  Yard  it  is  needless 
to  comment  upon.  Had  I got  in  touch  with 
those  in  higher  authority  the  matter  might 
have  been  different ; but  it  taught  me  the  les- 
son so  often  preached,  namely,  that  the  dif- 
ference between  the  classes  ” of  men  is  the 
presence  or  absence  of  initiative.  It  was 
not  until  I got  in  touch  with  a member  of 
the  clerical  staff  at  the  Foreign  Office,  quite 
at  the  eleventh  hour,  that  the  matter  was 
taken  up  and  dealt  with.  Had  I not  been 
fortunate  enough  to  meet  a man  accustomed 
to  take  initiative,  ‘‘  the  dangerous  lunatic  ” 
at  the  Chinese  Legation  would,  twenty-four 
hours  later,  have  been  shipped  to  China  to 
be  punished  in  the  way  all  Sun’s  colleagues 
had  already  been — namely,  by  decapitation. 
Emissaries  of  the  Chinese  Government 
haunted  Sun’s  footsteps  in  Japan,  in  China, 
in  Annam,  and  wherever  he  went.  The 
enormous  price  set  upon  his  head  induced 
desperate  men  readily  to  undertake  either 
his  capture  or  his  death. 


THE  MAN  AND  HIS  WORK  45 


Of  his  experiences  after  the  kidnapping 
episode  Sun  writes : 

After  some  time  spent  in  travel  and  study  in 
London  and  Paris,  I felt  that  the  time  had  come 
to  return  to  China.  My  country,  I felt,  needed 
me,  and  I arrived  to  find  everything  in  a state  of 
ferment.  The  whole  world  knows  the  story  of  the 
Boxer  troubles.  During  that  terrible  time  I was 
speaking  and  writing  and  lecturing — more  con- 
fident now  than  ever  that  nothing  could  stave  off 
the  inevitable  revolution.  Daily  I carried  my  life 
in  my  hand,  for  I began  to  have  enemies  now 
amongst  the  extremists,  men  who  hated  Europeans 
and  European  civilization,  and  wished  to  expel  the 
‘ foreign  devils  ’ from  China. 

‘ ‘ It  was  now  that  another  important  event  hap- 
pened to  me.  I was  speaking  to  a company  of 
my  followers,  when  my  eye  fell  on  a young  man 
of  slight  physique.  He  was  under  five  feet  high; 
he  was  about  my  age;  his  face  was  pale,  and  he 
looked  delicate.  Afterwards  he  came  to  me  and 
said : 

‘ I should  like  to  throw  in  my  lot  with  you. 
I should  like  to  help  you.  I believe  your  propa- 
ganda will  succeed.’ 

“ His  accent  told  me  he  was  an  American.  He 
held  out  his  hand.  I took  it  and  thanked  him, 
wondering  who  he  was.  I thought  he  was  a mis- 
sionary or  a student.  I was  right.  After  he  had 
gone  I said  to  a friend: 

“ ‘ Who  was  that  little  hunchback?  ’ 

“ ‘ Oh,  that,’  said  he,  ^ is  Colonel  Homer  Lea, 


46 


SUN  YAT  SEN 


one  of  the  most  brilliant — perhaps  the  most  bril- 
liant military  genius  now  alive.  He  is  a perfect 
master  of  modern  warfare.’ 

I almost  gasped  in  astonishment. 

“ ‘ And  he  has  just  offered  to  throw  in  his  lot 
with  me.’ 

The  next  morning  I called  on  Homer  Lea, 
now  General,  and  the  famous  author  of  the 
‘ Valor  of  Ignorance.’  I told  him  that  in  case 
I should  succeed  and  my  countrymen  gave  me  the 
power  to  do  so,  I would  make  him  my  chief  mili- 
tary adviser. 

‘‘  ‘ Do  not  wait  until  you  are  President  of 
China,’  he  said.  ‘ You  may  want  me  before  then. 
You  can  neither  make  nor  keep  a Government 
without  an  army.  I have  the  highest  opinion  of 
Chinamen  as  troops  when  they  are  properly 
trained.  ’ 

“ Most  of  the  modern  army — the  troops  trained 
in  European  tactics — are  patriots  and  reformers, 
but  until  they  seized  the  arsenal  at  Hanyang  they 
were  without  ammunition.  Blank  cartridges  were 
all  that  was  ever  served  out  to  them.” 

After  his  release  from  the  Chinese  Em- 
bassy in  London  in  October,  1896,  Sun 
stayed  with  us  for  some  time  before 
leaving  for  the  Far  East.  His  narrow 
escape  did  not  check  his  intentions,  but  sent 
him  forth  more  fully  determined  than  ever 
to  achieve  his  purpose.  In  Japan  he 
found  asylum,  and  from  there  he  trav- 


THE  MAN  AND  HIS  WORK  47 


elled  incognito  in  various  disguises  wliich  I 
even  now  do  not  feel  justified  in  disclosing. 
He  visited  many  parts  of  the  interior  of 
China,  the  Straits  Settlements,  the  Malay 
Peninsula,  the  United  States,  and  wherever 
Chinese  had  emigrated  he  preached  reform 
and  the  necessity  for  strenuous  endeavor. 
What  did  he  preach?  A bloodless  reform, 
a reform  by  peaceful  measures;  convincing 
arguments  were  his  weapons.  The  foe  he  set 
out  to  crush  was  the  prevailing  apathy  and 
the  political  ignorance  of  his  countrymen  and 
their  terror  of  declaring  their  real  feelings. 
To  raise  troops  of  soldiers  from  amongst  the 
floating  population  of  China  ready  to  fight  for 
pay  and  to  drive  the  Manchus  from  Peking 
would  have  been  a light  task  compared  to 
the  work  Sun  set  himself  to  do.  He  resolved 
that  the  people  of  China  should  rebel  in 
the  true  sense  of  the  word ; but  how  was  this 
to  be  done?  As  Sun  did  it. 

In  the  interior  of  China,  in  a guise  which 
defied  the  penetration  of  the  officials,  he 
preached  the  tenets  of  his  belief.  To  the 
villagers  on  the  banks  of  the  mighty  Yang- 
tse  he  brought  tidings  of  liberty  from  its 
mouth  in  the  China  Seas  to  far  Sze-chuen  on 
the  borders  of  Thibet;  on  the  Pearl  River 
he  drew  crowds  to  listen  to  him,  and  through- 
out the  Kwangsi  and  Kwang-tung  provinces 


48 


SUN  YAT  SEN 


established  centres  of  influence  and  gained 
able  and  enthusiastic  supporters  as  his  ad- 
herents. As  a spectacled  pedlar  with  knick- 
knacks  in  his  wallet  he  travelled  through  the 
Malay  Peninsula  and  the  Straits  Settlements, 
attracting  not  only  the  laboring  coolies  in  the 
plantations  but  the  masters  as  well.  The 
well-to-do  merchants  in  Penang  and  Singa- 
pore gave  him  their  support  and  contributed 
sums  of  money  to  further  the  campaign  he 
had  in  hand.  In  Honolulu,  in  San  Francisco 
and  other  cities  and  centres  of  the  United 
States,  Sun  converted  men  to  his  standard 
and  gained  their  confidence  by  his  convinc- 
ing honesty  and  unselfish  patriotism.  A 
simple  talent  apparently,  but  one  that  has 
served  to  bring  light  and  hope  to  human 
beings  before  now,  has  stirred  men  to  the 
highest  efforts  and  founded  the  greatest  of 
all  the  religions  of  the  world. 

How  did  he  preach?  Was  Sun  the  blatant, 
loud-tongued  demagogue  his  European  de- 
tractors would  have  us  believe?  Far  other 
were  the  measures  he  adopted.  In  a recently 
published  article,  a well-known  author  gives 
an  account  of  an  address  he  heard  delivered 
by  Sun  to  a large  meeting  of  Chinese  in 
San  Francisco.  For  three  hours  did  he 
speak,  quietly,  seriously,  without  once  pitch- 
ing his  tones  in  passionate  appeal  or  ever 


THE  MAN  AND  HIS  WOEK  49 


raising  his  hand  to  enforce  his  arguments. 
A simple  sermon,  during  which  his  hearers 
neither  applauded  nor  gave  sign  of  dissent — 
a spellbound  audience  listening  to  a message 
which  had  been  denied  them  for  centuries. 
A message  of  hope  to  escape  from  a thral- 
dom compared  with  which  the  monarchical 
and  religious  tyranny  of  the  Middle  Ages  in 
Western  Europe  appears  as  comparative 
freedom,  for  in  China  the  people  have  no  say 
whatever  in  the  management  of  Imperial, 
national,  or  even  municipal  affairs ; the  man- 
darins or  local  magistrates  have  full  power  of 
adjudication,  from  which  there  is  no  appeal. 
Their  word  is  law,  and  they  have  full  scope 
to  practise  their  machinations  with  complete 
irresponsibility,  and  to  fatten  on  the  people 
with  impunity.  Extortion  by  officials  is  a 
recognized  institution,  the  means  by  which 
the  official  lives  and  thrives.  Appointments 
are  procured  by  bribery,  and  once  obtained 
the  holder  has  complete  license,  and  the 
higher  the  position  he  acquires  the  greater 
additional  facilities  are  afforded  for  aggran- 
dizement and  self-enrichment;  these  officers 
are  the  ultimate  authority  in  all  matters  af- 
fecting social,  political  and  criminal  life. 

The  so-called  education  of  the  masses  un- 
derwent a change  when  the  Manchus  came  to 
rule  the  country;  these  uneducated,  rude,  and 


50 


SUN  YAT  SEN 


uncultivated  people,  “ outer  barbarians,”  as 
the  Chinese  called  them,  by  a stroke  of  suc- 
cess in  battle  found  themselves  masters  of 
the  situation  and  seized  the  throne.  Utterly 
ignorant  of  literature  of  any  kind,  they  found 
to  their  surprise  that  the  Chinese  were  an 
educated  people,  almost  every  coolie  in  the 
land  could  read,  write,  and  count  to  somd 
extent,  and  many  were  scholars  of  attain- 
ment in  the  Chinese  sense ; the  Manchus  were 
alarmed  at  the  state  of  affairs,  and  believing 
that  education  was  a present  danger  to  them, 
they  sought  to  stamp  it  out.  This  they  found 
impossible ; so  some  clever  men  amongst  them 
set  to  work  to  evolve  a system  of  teaching 
which  would  count  for  nothing,  whilst  at  the 
same  time  they  humored  the  people  by  allow- 
ing them  to  prosecute  study  of  a kind.  The 
writings  of  Confucius  and  other  sages  were 
curtailed;  all  parts  relating  to  the  criticism 
of  their  superiors  were  carefully  eliminated, 
and  only  those  parts  were  published  for  pub- 
lic reading  in  schools  which  taught  complete 
obedience  to  authority. 

To  keep  the  masses  in  ignorance  was  the 
deliberate  purpose  of  the  Manchus ; the  books 
they  allowed  to  be  published  contained  mere 
idioms,  what  we  would  term  ‘‘  copy-book  ” 
texts.  Of  instruction  these  books  afforded 
none ; their  reading  conveyed  no  knowledge — 


THE  MAN  AND  HIS  WOEK  51 


proverbs  in  poetic  language  devoid  of  infor- 
mation, reasoning  in  a circle  which  led  to 
nothing.  The  boys  (for  girls  were  not  al- 
lowed to  be  educated)  were  no  better  in- 
formed when  they  finished  than  when  they 
began.  Nothing  in  history  parallels  this 
sham  learning;  the  people  demanded  educa- 
tion, and  their  rulers  gave  them  trite  sayings 
to  read,  and  kept  them  in  total  ignorance. 
Sun  Yat  Sen,  in  his  appeal  to  his  country- 
men, had  to  begin  at  the  very  root  of  reform. 

It  was  not  merely  a change  of  dynasty,  of 
altering  or  amending  laws,  nor  an  extension 
of  freedom,  for  none  existed.  The  reform 
had  to  start  from  complete  darkness;  not 
even  from  chaos  to  cosmos,  for  there  were 
not  present  even  the  very  elements  which  go 
to  form  chaos.  There  had  to  be,  as  it  were, 
a new  heaven  and  a new  earth;  a complete 
submersion  of  the  past,  and  a fresh  resur- 
rection if  freedom  was  to  be  obtained.  No 
man  ever  attempted  a task  so  huge,  yet  has 
it  been  accomplished  by  an  unpretentious  in- 
dividual with  nothing  to  help  him  but  hon- 
esty, unselfishness,  ability  and  a readiness 
to  lay  down  his  life  for  his  country’s  sake. 

Other  escapes  from  what  seemed  inevitable 
death  were  many.  For  safety  Sun  frequently 
lived  on  board  junks  on  the  river  as  he  trav- 
elled in  the  interior  of  China.  Once  at  Nan- 


52 


SUN  YAT  SEN 


king  a man  entered  Sun’s  cabin  on  board  a 
junk  and  announced  that  he  had  been  offered 
$5,000  to  effect  his  capture.  Sun  reasoned 
with  the  would-be  captor,  with  the  result  that 
the  man  fell  at  his  feet  in  an  agony  of  re- 
pentance and  implored  pardon.  The  man 
desisted.  Why?  Sun’s  personality  merely, 
for  he  was  not  armed.  No  one  who  has 
come  in  close  touch  with  Sun  Yat  Sen  but 
has  felt  the  magic  of  his  presence.  Honesty 
and  patriotism  endow  him  with  an  “ atmo- 
sphere ” that  convinces  his  opponents  to  his 
views  and  serves  to  turn  aside  the  assassin’s 
knife  and  the  betrayer’s  purpose.  The  be- 
trayer in  this  instance  did  as  another  be- 
trayer did,  went  and  hanged  himself,  as  he 
could  not  face  the  world  again  after  having 
even  thought  of  giving  Sun  up  to  his  enemies. 

Once,  when  hiding  in  a fisherman’s  cabin 
outside  Canton,  soldiers  were  sent  to  watch 
the  cabin  and  to  shoot  Sun  at  sight ; the  fish- 
erman got  to  know  of  their  presence  and 
kept  Sun  indoors  for  two  days,  until,  in  fact, 
he  was  relieved  of  their  attentions  by  some 
friend  shooting  the  soldiers  themselves. 

Once,  in  the  island  of  Hainan,  owing  to  the 
house  he  occupied  being  watched,  he  never 
moved  out  of  the  compound  for  six  months, 
and  only  by  a clever  ruse  did  he  manage  to 
get  on  board  a boat  and  escape. 


THE  MAN  AND  HIS  WORK  53 


One  of  the  most  serious  attempts  on  his 
life  was  made  by  two  young  Government 
officials,  attended  by  a dozen  soldiers,  in  Can- 
ton. They  entered  Sun^s  room  late  one  even- 
ing. The  position  was  desperate,  for  his  cap- 
ture or  death  would  mean  promotion  and 
high  rewards  to  these  officers.  Even  then 
did  Sun’s  calmness  effect  his  safety.  Ap- 
prised of  their  advent,  he  took  up  one  of  the 
sacred  books  on  the  table  beside  him  and 
read  aloud.  The  would-be  captors  listened 
and  then  began  to  ask  questions.  Sun  en- 
tered into  conversation  with  them,  and  in  two 
hours’  time  the  officials  with  their  attendant 
soldiers  departed.  Sun’s  personality  again 
told;  the  officials  who  came  to  arrest  were 
themselves  arrested  by  the  magnetism  of  this 
extraordinary  man,  who  wins  all  to  his  cause 
and  sends  his  captors  away  happy  that  they 
failed  in  their  enterprise. 

Thus  for  some  seventeen  years — from  1895 
to  1912 — has  death  by  violence  threatened 
him.  More  than  once  has  a hired  assassin 
entered  the  room  he  occupied;  spies  have 
watched  him  in  almost  every  country,  in- 
cluding England  and  America;  a large  sum, 
at  one  time  amounting  to  $500,000,  was  of- 
fered for  his  capture,  and  only  now  can  he 
be  said  to  be  beyond  attempts  on  his  life. 
How  did  Sun  regard  these?  Latterly  with 


54 


SUN  YAT  SEN 


indifference,  formerly  with  some  apprehen- 
sion for  the  cause  he  had  in  hand. 

His  host  in  San  Francisco  told  me  of  his 
conversation  with  Sun  on  this  subject.  Sun 
had  just  spoken  to  an  audience  in  that  city 
in  February,  1911,  and  when  he  rose  to  go 
his  friend  proposed  accompanying  him  to  his 
lodging.  Sun  remonstrated  and  said  there 
was  no  occasion  for  that.  His  host  said  that 
it  was  very  unsafe,  seeing  that  a price  was 
on  his  head,  to  go  at  night  through  the 
Chinese  quarter  of  the  city.  At  this  Sun 
smiled,  and  said  that  there  was  no  fear.  His 
friend  enforced  the  necessity  by  saying  that 
it  would  be  the  ruin  of  the  cause  he  had  at 
heart  were  he  to  be  killed.  Yliereat  Sun 
again  smiled  and  said,  Oh  no,  the  cause 
will  not  be  mined  by  my  death;  everything 
is  in  order,  my  death  will  not  affect  it,  the 
whole  scheme  is  worked  out  to  the  most 
minute  detail;  the  leaders  are  appointed,  the 
generals  are  ready,  the  troops  are  organized, 
and  nothing  that  can  happen  to  me  will  make 
any  difference.  A few  years  ago,  my  death 
would  have  been  a misfortune,  but  not  now.'' 
Eegardless  of  everything  except  the  welfare 
of  his  country,  he  had  no  thought  of  self  and 
refused  to  be  protected.  He  always  spoke  in 
this  fashion  concerning  the  dangers  he  ran. 
During  his  many  visits  to  London,  although 


THE  MAN  AND  HIS  WOEK  55 


when  he  left  our  house  he  was  conscious  he 
was  followed,  he  regarded  the  matter  with 
indifference. 

When  he  accompanied  us  to  dinner  at  a 
friend’s  house,  there  was  the  inevitable  spy 
or  detective  following  us,  and  when  we 
started  to  come  home  we  were  made  aware  of 
being  watched  and  followed.  My  wife  and 
myself  were  also  honored”  in  this  fashion 
on  several  occasions  even  when  Sun  had  left 
the  country,  and  our  friends  were  at  times 
alarmed  that  we  might  be  punished  for  our 
friendship  with  Sun.  Our  being  followed, 
however,  was  no  doubt  merely  due  to  the  fact 
that  Sun  had  disappeared,  and,  having  lost 
touch  with  his  whereabouts,  the  authorities 
had  us  shadowed  in  the  hope  we  were  going 
to  visit  him  at  his  lodgings,  and  thereby  un- 
wittingly reveal  his  address. 

The  early  necessity  for  obtaining  the  ^ ^ sin- 
ews of  war  ’ ’ and  his  appreciation  of  his  own 
people  Sun  has  briefly  expressed  in  the 
following : 

At  the  close  of  the  Boxer  rebellion  I returned 
to  America.  There  was  one  thmg  I wanted  more 
than  troops  and  arms — without  which  I saw  I 
could  have  neither,  and  that  was  money.  Not  the 
money  in  quantities  I had  been  receiving — here 
and  there — but  at  least  half  a million  sterling. 
Anything  less  than  this  would  be  failure.  Now 


56 


SUN  YAT  SEN 


began  a new  role  for  me — a canvasser  for  political 
funds.  In  this  capacity  I travelled  in  every  city 
in  America,  and  I visited  all  the  leading  bankers 
in  Europe.  Emissaries  sent  by  me  penetrated  into 
all  quarters.  Some  professing  to  act  for  me  and 
in  my  name  proved  faithless.  But  I prefer  not  to 
speak  of  these — although  one  man  is  now  uni- 
versally denounced  as  a traitor  to  the  cause  for 
having  appropriated  a huge  sum  of  money  en- 
trusted to  his  care.  He  will  meet  with  his  due 
reward. 

“ All  over  the  world,  and  particularly  in  Amer- 
ica, the  legend  has  grown  up  that  Chinamen  are 
selfish  and  mercenary.  There  never  was  a greater 
libel  on  a people.  Many  have  given  me  their 
whole  fortune.  One  Philadelphia  laundrj’man 
called  at  my  hotel  after  a meeting,  and,  thrusting 
a linen  bag  upon  me,  went  awaj^  without  a word. 
It  contained  his  entire  savings  for  twenty  years. 

In  this  sketch  of  Sun  Yat  Sen  I know  how 
completely  I have  failed  to  depict  the  char- 
acter of  this  extraordinary  man.  My  respect 
and  regard  for  him  may  appear  to  have 
warped  my  judgment  and  directed  my  j^en 
in  too  narrow  a channel.  Let  there  be  no 
mistake  in  this  matter,  however;  I have  re- 
strained, not  exaggerated,  my  feelings  to- 
wards him.  I have  never  knovm  any  one  like 
Sun  Yat  Sen;  if  I were  asked  to  name  the 
most  perfect  character  I ever  knew,  I would 
unhesitatingly  say  Sun  Yat  Sen.  In  our 


THE  MAN  AND  HIS  WOEK  57 


house  he  was  the  most  welcome  of  visitors; 
children  and  servants  alike  conceived  a deep 
regard  for  him;  his  sweetness  of  disposition, 
his  courtesy,  his  consideration  for  others,  his 
interesting  conversation,  and  his  gracious  de- 
meanor attract  one  towards  him  in  an  in- 
describable fashion,  and  have  led  me  to  think 
of  him  as  a being  apart,  consecrated  for  the 
work  he  had  in  hand. 

And  what  could  be  more  genuinely  self- 
revealing,  as  regards  the  absence  of  selfish 
ambition  and  as  indicating  the  devoted 
patriotism  by  which  the  man  is  consumed, 
than  these  paragraphs  from  his  own  pen : 

So  far  it  has  all  happened  as  I foretold,  only 
the  crisis  has  come  a little  more  hurriedly.  I ex- 
pected Yuan-Shih-Kai  would  have  been  able  to 
hold  out  longer.  I was  so  full  of  this  belief  that 
when  a year  ago  Yuan  sent  for  me  I distrusted  his 
messenger.  I thought  he  was  playing  false,  but 
he  was  really  in  earnest.  He  wished  to  remove 
the  ban  from  my  life  and  act  openly  in  concert 
with  me.  But  I said  to  his  messenger : 

‘ Go  back  to  your  master  and  tell  him  I have 
not  labored  fifteen  years  and  suffered  so  many 
perils  to  be  tricked  so  easily.  Tell  his  Excellency 
I can  wait.’ 

If  I had  trusted  Yuan’s  messenger  the  revolu- 
tion would  have  happened  sooner,  and  I should 
now  be  in  Peking.  For  I can  count  upon  mil- 


58 


SUN  YAT  SEN 


lions  of  followers.  They  will  follow  me  to  the 
death,  as  they  have  long  followed  my  teachings. 

# # # # # 

Whether  I am  to  be  the  titular  head  of  all 
China,  or  to  work  in  conjunction  with  another, 
and  that  other  Yuan-Shih-Kai,  is  of  no  importance 
to  me.  I have  done  my  work;  the  wave  of  en- 
lightenment and  progress  cannot  now  be  stayed, 
and  China — ^the  country  in  the  world  most  fitted 
to  be  a republic,  because  of  the  industrious  and 
docile  character  of  the  people — will,  in  a short 
time,  take  her  place  amongst  the  civilized  and 
liberty-loving  nations  of  the  world.” 

As  a further  instance  of  Sun’s  all-pervad- 
ing courtesy  and  kindliness,  I would  men- 
tion an  occurrence,  insignificant  in  itself  no 
doubt,  but  under  the  circumstances  interest- 
ing. He  came  to  my  house  in  November, 
1911,  and  the  maid  who  opened  the  door,  and 
who  had  knovm  him  for  many  years,  gave 
him  a smiling  welcome.  The  chosen  head  of 
400,000,000  of  people,  carrying  in  his  pocket 
a telegram  just  received  asking  him  to  be 
President  of  the  Chinese  Eepublic,  shook 
hands  with  her  and  cordially  returned  the 
greeting. 

The  story  of  this  telegram  is  also  of  in- 
terest. It  was  sent  from  Canton  and  ad- 
dressed to  Sun  Wen,  London.  Sun  lYen  is 


THE  MAN  AND  HIS  WORK  59 


Sun’s  official  name,  Sun  Yat  Sen  his  family 
name.  Most  Chinese  have  three  or  even  four 
names.  One  the  name  his  parents  give  him 
at  birth;  another  the  name  his  schoolmaster 
bestows  upon  him  when  he  enters  school;  a 
third  the  young  man  selects  for  himself  when 
he  reaches  adult  years;  and  yet  again  he 
bears  the  name  under  which  he  is  entered  in 
the  official  records.  The  Chinese  puts  his 
family  name,  what  we  term  the  surname, 
first;  and  it  is  only  the  latter  part  of  the 
name,  which  stands  for  our  first  or  Chris- 
tian name,  which  varies. 

‘‘  Sun  Wen,  London,”  was  rather  a vague 
address,  but  the  Post  Office  officials  wrote 
across  the  envelope,  Try  Chinese  Lega- 
tion.” Thither  the  telegram  was  evidently 
sent,  but  when  it  was  read  it  was  forwarded 
on  to  my  house  with  a message  asking 
whether  the  person  to  whom  it  was  ad- 
dressed was  residing  there.  I was  not  at 
home,  but  my  wife,  luckily,  was.  Many  tele- 
grams had  been  coming  for  some  weeks  be- 
fore Sun  arrived  in  London,  and  we  had  in- 
structions to  open  them.  This  telegram  was, 
of  course,  already  open;  the  communication 
was  in  cipher,  and  after  each  ciphered  word 
a Chinese  character  was  evidently  recently 
written.  Sun  had  not  reached  our  house 
when  the  telegram  arrived,  although  we  were 


60 


SUN  YAT  SEX 


almost  hourly  expecting  him,  so  Mrs.  Cantlie 
was  able  to  reply  that  Sun  Wen  was  not  with 
us.  Her  difficulty  was  what  to  do  in  the  mat- 
ter; this  might  be  a most  important  message, 
and  one  which  Sun  ought  to  be  acquainted 
with.  Yet  to  acknowledge  Sun’s  advent 
might  lead  to  trouble,  for  the  Ambassador 
was  still  representing  the  Manchus,  and  he 
might  have  had  instructions  to  secure  Sun  at 
all  hazards  for  all  we  knew  to  the  contrary. 
How  was  the  difficulty  to  be  got  over?  Mrs. 
Cantlie  copied  the  cipher  from  the  telegram, 
Chinese  characters  and  all,  and  returned  it 
by  the  messenger. 

When  Sun  came  in  some  two  hours  after- 
wards, with  the  scores  of  letters  and  tele- 
gi'ams  awaiting  him,  Mrs.  Cantlie  handed 
him  the  cipher  telegram  referred  to ; he  read 
it,  smiled,  and  put  it  in  his  pocket.  Xaturally 
we  were  anxious  to  know  what  was  in  this 
telegi’am;  but  we  never,  in  all  our  intimacy 
with  Sun,  asked  him  anything  that  we  con- 
sidered might  be  private,  and  we  always 
begged  him  not  to  tell  us  anything  in  the 
nature  of  a secret  concerning  the  work  in 
which  he  was  engaged.  It  was  not  until  next 
day  that  Mrs.  Cantlie  referred  to  the  tele- 
gram and  told  him  its  history;  he  asked  who 
copied  the  Chinese  characters,  and  was 
astounded,  almost  to  unbelieving,  that  Mrs. 


MRS.  SUN  YAT  SEN  IN  A JINRICKSHA,  WITH  HER  SON 


THE  MAN  AND  HIS  WOEK  61 


Cantlie  could  have  written  the  characters  so 
exactly  with  a pen.  When  asked  if  the  news 
was  secret,  Oh  no,’’  he  said,  didn’t  I tell 
you!  It  was  asking  me  to  he  President  of 
the  new  Eepublic.” 

Would  any  other  man  have  received  the 
news  in  the  manner  Sun  did?  I believe  not. 
When  we  asked  him  if  he  would  accept  the 
presidency,  he  answered,  after  a little  reflec- 
tion, Yes,  for  the  time  being,  if  no  one  else 
can  be  found  better  in  the  meantime.  ’ ’ Probe 
his  thoughts  as  we  might,  there  never  was 
any  semblance  of  self-seeking.  The  fact  that 
the  destinies  of  China  were  in  his  keeping 
never  seemed  to  quicken  the  pulse  of  his 
thoughts  or  disturb  his  equanimity.  The 
benefit  of  his  country  was  his  only  considera- 
tion; nothing  else  mattered.  Neither  honors, 
place,  position,  nor  reward  were  dreamt  of, 
far  less  considered.  The  presidency  might 
come  and  go,  he  cared  not;  his  country’s  re- 
generation was  before  all.  Not  that  the  prin- 
ciple he  held  sacred  ever  found  expression  in 
words ; the  commonplace  florid  oratory  of  the 
demagogue  acclaiming  the  people’s  rights 
had  no  place  in  the  category  of  Sun’s  speech 
or  methods.  Confident  of  success,  belief  in 
the  capabilities  of  the  men  he  had  selected 
to  fill  the  important  offices  of  state,  complete 
reliance  upon  the  character  of  the  Chinese 


62 


SUN  YAT  SEN 


people  to  work  out  their  own  salvation,  and 
implicit  trust  in  Yuan-Shih-Kai  were  the  key- 
notes of  Sun’s  endeavor. 

***** 

The  consistent  simplicity  and  amiability 
of  Sun  Yat  Sen’s  character  will  be  gathered 
from  the  following  three  letters  recently  re- 
ceived from  him,  and  reproduced  in  facsimile. 


THE  MAN  AND  HIS  WORK  63 


^ m m & m ^ 

REPUBLIC  OF  CHINA 


THE  PRESIDENT’S  OFFICE^ 


January  8lBt/i012. 

My  Dear  Dr.  and  ure.'Cantll©* 

It  will  be  your  pleasure  to 
hear  from  me  tnat  1 nave  assumed  the  Presidenoy  of  the 
Provisional  Republican  Government  In  China,  which  1 accept- 
ed with  disinterested  fervour  In  order  to  render  myself  an 
Instrumentality  to  rescue  China  with  Its  four  hundred 
million  population  from  environment  of  Impending  perils 
and  dishonour.  I ought  to  have  written  you  much  earlier, 
but  something  or  other  always  prevented  me  from  doing  so  , 
having  been  kept  exceedingly  busy  since  1 arrived  here  and* 
especially  so  since  1 occupied  my  present  post,  as  you  may 
well  Imagine  and  fairly  forgive.  It  malces  me  feel  more 
grateful  to  you  when  from  the  present  position  1 look  back 
on  my  past  of  hardships  and  strenuous  toil,  and  think  of 
your  kindnesses  shown  me  all  the  while  that  1 con  never  nor 
will  forget.  I can  say  so  far  that  the  state  of  things 

here  in  Hanking  is  improving  rapidly  with  a well  founded 
prospect  of  future  promise.  1 may  not  write  you  as  often 
as  1 wish,  but  you  may  learn  from  the  newa-papere  what  I am 
doing  from  time  to  time.  Kindly  convey  ray  beat  compliments 
to  all  my  friends  In  London  whom  you  know  and  happen  to  meet, 
emd  oblige. 


Kith  best  wishes  and  kindest  regards,  1 seijiain 
lours  very  sincerely. 


64 


SUN  YAT  SEN 


m ^ m & m 


REPUBLIC  OF  CHINA 


THE  PRESIDENT’S  OFPlCE, 


March  srd/1912. 


My  dear  Doctor  cantlle* 

1 have  your  very  icind  and 

Interestlr^  letter  which  gives  ce  a great  deal  of  pleasure. 

1 am  well.  How  that  I have  resigned  In  favour 
of  Yueui  Shl-kal,  since  ay  work  of  revolution  le  coopleted, 

1 hope  to  be  relieved  of  office  soon.  But,  I fear,  things 
rsay  yet  take  a leas  favourable  turn  and  require  my  service 
a little  longer.  No  doubt  you  have  seen  In  the  last  two 
days’  papers  about  the  riot  in  Peking,  this  calls  for  the 
greatest  attention  and  needs  lanedlate  action  to  prevent  it 
to  spread  further.  I hope  however  everything  will  resuoe 
its  noroal  course  before  long. 


Yours  sincerely. 


SUN  VAT  SEN,  WHILE  PRESIDENT  OJ'  THE  REPURLIC,  PEEING  SALUTED 

BY  SOLDIERS 


THE  MAN  AND  HIS  WORK  65 


S g I? 

REPUBLIC  OF  CHINA 

THE  PRESIDENT'S  OPFJCE, 

KWCH  a2th/19X2. 

sear  Mrs.  Oantllo»^ 

Your  welcome  letter  of  February  18th 
afforded  me  great  pleasure » and  It  Is  Indeed  a delight  to 
eee  the  familiar  hand-writing  again. 

It  Is  true  that  the  Tal  Ching  dynasty  la  **a 
thing  of  the  pant"  but  the  dethronement  of  the  lianchua 
does  not  mean  the  complete  salvation  of  China.  Re  have  an 
enormous  amount  of  work  ahead  of  us,  and  It  must  be  accom- 
plished In  order  that  ehe  may  be  ranked  as  a great  power 
among  the  family  of  nations. 

I thank  you  for  your  earnest  prayers  offered  In 
my  behalf.  1 am  glad  to  tell  you  that  we  are  going  to  have 
religious  toleration  In  China,  and  l*m  sure  that  Christian- 
ity will  flourish  tinder  the  new  regime. 

I am  going  to  Canton  shortly  and  there  try  to 
convert  the  old  city  Into  a new  and  modern  one. 

My  family  Is  in  Nanking  with  me.  My  eon  will 
return  to  America  for  his  education,  and  I am  contomplatlng 
Bending  my  elder  daughter  along  with  her  brother  for  the 
same  purpose.  If  they  should  come  to  England  1 shall  ask 
them  to  make  it  a point  to  call  on  you  and  the  doctor. 

I close  this  letter  with  my  kindest  regards  and 
best  wishes  to  you  and  Dr.  Cantlle,'  I remain. 

Yours  sincerely. 


m 


THE  EISE  OF  A GEEAT  TYEANIsT 

/ 

TO  understand  aright  the  Chinese  E ev- 
olution— the  most  remarkable  event 
surely  of  our  time — we  must  realize 
the  nature  of  the  forces  opposing  Sun  Yat 
Sen  and  his  supporters.  We  must  find  out, 
in  fact,  upon  what  the  Manchus  based 
their  apparently  impregnable  despotism. 
The  story  is  a fascinating  one — almost  as 
fascinating  as  it  is  sinister.  In  nothing  is  it 
more  remarkable  than  this:  that  while  the 
Manchus,  once  upon  the  Chinese  throne,  pro- 
fessed to  be  opposed  inexorably  to  change, 
and  determined  to  preserve  intact  and  at  all 
costs  the  institutions  of  the  country,  and 
while  to  all  appearance  they  succeeded  in 
doing  so,  yet  in  actual  fact  they  contrived, 
all  unsuspected,  to  transmute  the  whole  char- 
acter of  China ’s  government  and  civilization. 
In  this  single  fact  we  have  the  key  to  a 
dominion  as  mysterious  as  it  was  powerful 
— the  dominion  of  a barbaric  Tartar  clan 
over  an  ancient  empire.  That  their  Manchu 

66 


EISE  OF  A GREAT  TYRANNY  67 


rulers  were  foreigners  was  always  keenly 
felt  by  the  Chinese.  Most  wisely,  therefore, 
did  the  Manchus  show  all  the  deference 
proper  in  foreigners  to  Chinese  forms  of  gov- 
ernment, but  none  the  less  did  they  change 
the  spirit  of  that  government  as  completely 
as  if  they  had  thrown  everything  into  the 
melting-pot.  It  is  no  exaggeration  to  say 
that  the  Empire  Sun  Yat  Sen  has  overthrown 
was  more  alien  to  that  of  his  forefathers 
than  the  Republic  he  has  established,  and 
the  great  achievement  of  the  Revolution  has 
been  to  restore  China  to  her  true,  her  normal 
self. 

It  is  easy  to  explain  this  paradox.  Con- 
sider for  a moment  the  working  of  the  normal 
Chinese  autocracy  in  the  pre-Manchu  days. 
It  was  absolutely  different  to  all  the  despot- 
isms of  the  East.  Such  a thing,  for  instance, 
as  the  sudden  elevation  by  the  Emperor  of 
grooms  and  barbers  to  high  official  posts  was 
as  unknown  to  China  as  it  was  familiar,  say, 
to  Turkey  or  Persia.  The  Chinese  had  found 
out  the  competitive  examination,  and  in  the 
old  days  it  was  only  by  hard  and  successful 
study  that  a Chinese  could  climb  from  the 
lowest  step  of  the  official  ladder  to  the  higher 
rounds.  The  principle  that  good  government 
consisted  in  getting  the  services  of  the  best 
men,  of  the  “ heen  nang  ” — the  worthy 


68 


SUN  YAT  SEN 


and  talented,”  the  good  and  able  ” — was 
firmly  rooted  in  the  Chinese  mind;  which 
reasoned  that,  although  there  could  be  no 
degrees,  no  bachelorships,  no  doctorates  of 
virtue,  yet,  as  there  was  an  intimate  con- 
nection between  moral  and  intellectual  eleva- 
tion, so  the  competitive  examination  afforded 
the  best  available  test  of  the  fittest  men  to 
govern.  The  test  may  have  been  imperfect, 
crude  even,  but  at  least  it  was  honestly  ad- 
ministered, and  behind  it  lay  the  idea  that 
government  to  be  effective  must  be  entrusted 
to  the  fittest,  that  no  pains  must  be  spared 
to  discover  and  reward  these,  and  that,  once 
found,  the  power  and  responsibility  must  be 
theirs.  The  Chinese  were  free  from  the  de- 
lusion that  the  qualities  which  make  a capable 
administrator  or  a wise  governor  are  heredi- 
tary. Never  did  they  hold  that  the  control 
of  the  Empire  should  be  vested  largely  in 
the  members  of  one  class.  Fitness,  not  birth, 
was  the  essential,  and,  as  the  only  method 
of  discovering  fitness  was  by  the  competitive 
examinations,  immense  importance  attached 
to  these  functions.  Thousands  of  candidates 
attended  them,  representing  every  class  of 
the  community.  The  very  office  of  Emperor, 
it  should  be  noted,  was  by  no  means  heredi- 
tary. The  pure  theory  of  succession  was  that 
the  best  and  wisest  man  in  the  Empire  should 


EISE  OF  A GREAT  TYRANNY  69 


be  nominated.  This  became  so  far  modified 
in  practice  that  the  Emperor  selected  his 
ablest  son,  taking  no  account  of  priority  of 
birth,  whilst  if  the  said  son  failed  to  show 
conspicuous  qualities  for  governorship,  his 
deposition  was  not  very  difficult  to  arrange. 
The  military  and  police  maintained  were  suf- 
ficient to  crush  merely  factious  risings,  but 
quite  inadequate  to  put  down  a general  rising 
on  the  part  of  an  indignant  people.  In  a 
word,  Chinese  government  was  probably  the 
most  scientific  attempt  ever  made  to  secure 
government  by  aristocracy — using  the  word 
in  its  pure  sense,  af)iaro<;,  the  best. 

Then  came  the  Manchus.  The  last  repre- 
sentative of  the  Ming  dynasty  had  not  been 
a success.  Probably  he  was  in  his  own  per- 
son a disproof  of  the  adequacy  of  the  aris- 
tocratic theory  of  government,  for  he  has 
been  denounced  as  being  given  over  to 
sensual  indulgence  and  as  inattentive  to  the 
affairs  of  state.  In  any  case  he  was  not 
popular.  Rebellion  raged,  and  the  victorious 
rebel  leader,  Le  Tsze  Ching,  at  last  entered 
Peking  at  the  head  of  his  conquering  army — 
to  find  that  the  Ming  Emperor,  deserted  and 
unsupported,  had  committed  suicide.  And 
then  occurred  one  of  the  tragedies  of  his- 
tory. One  of  the  Ming  Generals,  a certain 
iWoo  San  Kwei,  was  then  on  the  borders  of 


70 


SUX  YAT  SEX 


China  endeavoring  with  indifferent  success 
to  keep  off  an  invasion  of  the  Manchu  Tartar 
clans.  It  was  harder  apparently  to  Woo 
San  to  submit  to  his  rebel  countryman  than 
to  the  foreign  invader.  In  any  case,  he 
sought  the  Manchu ’s  aid  to  oust  the  usurper. 
It  was  given.  Seven  years’  war  followed — 
seven  years  compared  to  which,  one  authority 
says,  the  Seven  Years’  Prussian  War  was 
a trifle ! At  the  end  the  rebels  were  crushed 
— and  the  reign  of  the  Manchus  began,  and 
with  it  the  decadence  of  the  Chinese  Empire. 

We  have  said  that  the  Manchus  were 
scrupulous  to  observe  the  forms  of  the 
Chinese  Government.  More,  they  made  no 
attempt  to  impugn  its  theory.  The  admin- 
istration of  the  country  by  the  best  and  best- 
trained  men  was  still,  they  agreed,  desirable. 
The  competitive  examinations  to  discover 
who  these  were  continued  to  be  held  “ under 
distinguished  auspices.”  There  was  one 
trifling  difference,  however.  The  Manchus 
found  themselves  under  the  necessity  of 
• maintaining  a huge  standing  army.  Eevolt 
was  still  smoldering,  and  had  to  be  put  down 
with  an  iron  hand.  A huge  Tartar  garrison 
was  massed  at  Peking.  Smaller  garrisons 
were  appointed  at  nine  of  the  provincial  cap- 
itals and  ten  other  important  points.  The 
very  sight  of  these  garrisons  has  been  for 


EISE  OF  A GREAT  TYRANNY  71 


ovei  two  hundred  years  a reminder  to  the 
Chinese  that  they  were  under  the  heel  of  a 
foreign  dominion,  and  has  served  to  exacer- 
bate them  over  and  over  again.  That  by 
the  way^  however.  The  point  is  that  the 
garrisons  proved,  with  their  numerous  prog- 
eny, very  costly  to  maintain,  and  then  there 
grew  up  the  system  which  has  since  developed 
to  a fine  art — the  sale  of  public  offices.  The 
students  still  competed  and  held  their  exam- 
inations, but,  if  afterwards  they  desired  any 
considerable  appointment,  they  had  to  pay 
for  it.  Thus  did  the  Manchus  raise  their 
revenue ! Corruption  spread  throughout  the 
whole  of  the  Civil  Service  of  China  till  there 
was  no  one  to  corrupt.  And  with  corruption 
came  another  change.  The  ancient  govern- 
ment of  China  was  marked  by  a high  degree 
of  centralization.  There  was  a constant  re- 
vision by  the  Emperor  and  his  ministers  of 
the  acts  of  all  the  military,  fiscal  and  judicial 
services.  Governors  and  mandarins  were  re- 
movable at  his  pleasure,  and  each  and  all  of 
them  knew  that,  at  any  moment,  they  might 
be  called  upon  to  give  an  account  of  their 
stewardship.  But  with  the  Manchu  ascend- 
ancy this  system  of  centralized  control  gave 
way  to  a corrupt  feudalism.  There  ceased 
to  be  any  real  check  upon  the  mandarins. 
Huge  provinces  were  at  the  mercy  of  some 


72 


SUN  YAT  SEN 


grasping  governor,  who  had  only  bought  his 
appointment  to  “ squeeze  the  people,  and 

was,  therefore,  entitled  to  squeeze  them 

as  hard  as  he  could.  For  the  onlv  official 
remuneration  worth  thinking  of  was,  as  we 
have  seen,  that  which  the  officials  themselves 
blackmailed  from  the  public.  Under  the 
Manchus,  in  fact,  the  Court  sold  the  right  to 
squeeze  ’’  to  all  scholars  who  would  pay 
for  it,  and  the  old  Chinese  Government, 
which,  with  all  its  crudities  and  imperfec- 
tions, was  yet  animated  by  the  guiding  im- 
pulse of  a great  idea,  was  utterly  destroyed 
for  ever.  With  the  increase  of  the  Manchu 
race,  the  necessity  of  providing  for  them  be- 
came apparent.  Accordingly  they  had  the 
refusal  of  the  most  lucrative  appointments 
and  were  put  in  control  of  the  most  impor- 
tant provinces,  with  the  most  populous  cities 
and  fertile  lands.  From  their  decisions  there 
was  no  effective  appeal.  In  a thousand  ways 
they  bled  the  people  and  practised  extortion 
at  every  possible  opportunity.  As  the  cor- 
ruption intensified,  so  did  the  standard  of 
competence  fall,  until  at  last,  as  the  whole 
land  passed  under  the  Manchus,  the  Chinese, 
taught  by  centuries  of  custom  and  religion 
to  revere  the  law  and  its  officers,  found  that, 
while  their  idol  remained  outwardly  the 
same,  fair  seeming  and  good  to  look  upon. 


EISE  OF  A GREAT  TYRANNY  73 


its  heart  had  changed  to  that  of  a devil. 
They  struggled  hard  against  the  Manchus, 
and  in  spirit  never  accepted  them.  South- 
East  China,  where  the  present  revolution 
took  its  rise,  was  ever  bitterly  anti-Manchu. 

For  about  forty  years,’’  says  Mr.  Taylor 
Meadows,  after  the  advent  of  the  Manchu 
dynasty  was  proclaimed  at  Peking,  the  moun- 
taineers and  coastlanders  of  South-Eastern 
China  never  felt  themselves  completely  and 
hopelessly  under  its  sway ; and  from  that  date 
to  the  present  day — during  a period  of  170 
years — this  very  portion  of  China  has  been 
the  great  seat  of  a formidable  political  so- 
ciety, best  known  as  the  ‘ San  Ho  Hwuy  ’ — 
the  Triad  Society — the  express  object  of 
which  has  been  the  expulsion  of  the  barbarian 
conquerors  of  their  country.” 

All  that  time  Fan  Tsing  fuh  Ming  ” re- 
mained their  motto  (“  Overthrow  the  Man- 
chus, re-establish  the  Mings  ”).  But  the 
Manchus  were  too  strong.  They  had  seized 
the  throne  at  a moment  when  China  was  di- 
vided and  weakened  by  long  and  bitter  civil 
war.  They  kept  it  by  an  outward  compliance 
with  Chinese  custom,  adroitly  altered  to  suit 
their  own  policy,  and  they  backed  their  posi- 
tion with  such  a military  force  as  the  poor 
Chinese  were  unable  to  dispute. 

One  signal  advantage  the  early  Manchus 


74 


SUN  YAT  SEN 


possessed.  Their  first  Emperors  were  men 
of  real  ability — able  if  unscrupulous,  realiz- 
ing to  the  full  that  much  depended  ui?on  their 
own  sagacity  and  conduct.  But  as  time 
brought  a deeper  sense  of  security,  a new 
type  of  ruler  appeared — arrogant  and  idle, 
given  over  to  the  trivialities  of  fife,  openly 
contemptuous  of  the  people  who  acknowl- 
edged his  sway.  This  is  not  surprising. 
The  Chinese  Emperor,  it  must  be  remem- 
bered, is,  or  rather  he  was,  the  ‘‘  Son  of 
Heaven,’^  the  Supreme  Euler,”  the  Au- 
gust Lofty  One,”  the  Celestial  Euler,”  the 
Solitary  Man,”  the  Buddha  of  the  Pres- 
ent Day  ”;  and,  in  adulatory  addresses,  he 
was  often  hailed  the  ‘‘  Lord  of  Ten  Thousand 
Years.” 

In  harmony  with  these  lofty  attributes, 
his  subjects,”  says  Sir  E.  K.  Douglas  in  ‘‘  So- 
ciety in  China,”  when  admitted  into  his 
presence,  prostrate  themselves  in  adoration 
on  the  ground  before  him,  and  on  a certain 
day  in  the  year  he  is  worshipped  in  every 
city  in  the  Empire.  At  daylight,  on  the  day 
in  question,  the  local  mandarins  assemble  in 
the  city  temple,  where,  in  the  central  hall,  a 
throne  is  raised  on  which  is  placed  the  im- 
perial tablet.  At  a given  signal  the  assem- 
bled officials  kneel  thrice  before  the  throne, 
and  nine  times  strike  their  heads  on  the 


RISE  OF  A GREAT  TYRANNY  75 


ground  as  though  in  the  presence  of  the  Su- 
preme Ruler.” 

‘ ^ With  the  exception  of  those  immediately 
about  his  person,  his  subjects  are  not  allowed 
to  gaze  upon  his  face.  When  he  goes  abroad 
the  people  are  compelled  to  fall  on  their  faces 
to  the  ground  until  his  cavalcade  has  passed 
on,  and  on  all  occasions  he  is  to  them  a mys- 
tery. ’ ’ 

The  palace,  as  befitting  the  abode  of  so 
exalted  a personage,  is  so  placed  as  effectu- 
ally to  cut  off  its  occupants  from  the  rest  of 
the  Empire.  Situated  in  the  ‘ Forbidden 
City,’  it  is  surrounded  with  a triple  barrier 
of  walls.  Beyond  the  inner  and  arcane  en- 
closure is  the  imperial  city,  which  is  en- 
closed by  a high  wall  topped  with  tiles  of  the 
imperial  yellow  color ; and  outside  that  again 
is  the  Tartar  city,  which  forms  the  northern 
part  of  the  capital.  Strict  guard  is  kept 
night  and  day  at  the  gates  of  the  Forbidden 
City,  and  severe  penalties  are  inflicted  on  all 
unauthorized  persons  who  may  dare  to  enter 
its  portals.”  Only  on  rare  occasions,  and 
those  almost  exclusively  occasions  of  cere- 
mony, does  the  Emperor  pass  out  of  the 
palace  grounds.  These  no  doubt  present  a 
microcosm  of  the  Empire.  There  are  lakes, 
mountains,  parks,  and  gardens  in  which  the 
imperial  prisoner  can  amuse  himself,  with 


76 


SUN  YAT  SEN 


the  boats  which  ply  on  the  artificial  water, 
or  by  joining  mimic  hunts  in  miniature  for- 
ests ; but  it  is  probable  that  there  is  not  one 
of  the  millions  of  China  who  has  not  more 
practical  knowledge  of  the  Empire  than  he 
who  rules  it.  Theoretically  he  is  supposed 
to  spend  his  days  and  nights  in  the  affairs  of 
state.’^^  As  Sir  Eobert  Douglas  observes: 
‘‘It  is  only  men  of  the  strongest  will  and 
keenest  intellects  who  would  not  rust  under 
such  conditions,  and  these  qualities  are  pos- 
sessed as  rarely  by  Emperors  as  by  ordinary 
persons.’’ 

And  with  the  Manchus,  once  the  stimulus 
of  their  accession  had  worn  off,  those  quali- 
ties became  rare  indeed.  Vigilance  gave 
way  to  sensual  sloth.  Stories  of  vicious  de- 
pravity upon  the  part  of  Emperor  after  Em- 
peror became  common  gossip  through  China. 
More  and  more,  the  central  authority  slack- 
ened and  the  mandarins  waxed  fat  as  their 
extortions  increased.  If  rebellion  was  at- 
tempted it  was  crushed  with  pitiless  force. 
The  people  were  forbidden  knowledge. 
Whereas  under  the  old  dispensation  complete 
copies  of  the  law  could  be  cheaply  and  easily 
procured,  a time  came  when  the  laws  were 
to  be  known  only  to  the  highest  officials  and 
forbidden  to  public  eyes.  In  fact,  as 
* “Society  in  China,”  by  Sir  R.  K.  Douglas. 


EISE  OF  A GREAT  TYRANNY  77 


the  central  power  relaxed,  as  decadent  Em- 
peror succeeded  decadent,  so  the  grip  of  the 
mandarins  upon  the  people  tightened,  until 
the  vast  and  complicated  machinery  of  the 
Chinese  Government  became  one  great  en- 
gine of  oppression,  whose  officers  had  but  one 
idea — the  squeezing  ” of  the  common 

people. 

There  is  a certain  story,  gruesome  yet  fas- 
cinating, by  Edgar  Allan  Poe,  which  illus- 
trates vividly  the  conditions  into  which  the 
Manchu  despotism  gradually  fell.  A man 
sick  unto  death  is  hypnotized,  and  while  hyp- 
notized and  sitting  erect  in  his  chair,  dies. 
Hours  pass  and  the  watchers  see  no  change, 
till  they  go  to  rouse  him,  and  find  that  he  is 
dead — dead  in  the  same  attitude  as  when  the 
hypnotist  commanded  him  to  sit  up.  It  was 
much  like  this  with  the  Manchu  Empire. 
Looking  back  upon  the  history  of  that  dy- 
nasty now,  it  is  easy  to  see  that  decay  had 
set  in  long  ago,  and  that,  though  to  all  out- 
ward appearance  strong  and  erect,  its  springs 
of  action  had  long  since  dried  up,  so  that 
the  end  in  fact  was  not  far  off.  But  there 
was  this  difference  between  the  Manchus  and 
Poe’s  hypnotized  man.  When  the  shock  of 
outside  reality  came  to  the  Manchus,  they  at 
least  had  sufficient  vitality  to  pull  themselves 
together  for  one  last  desperate  effort — an 


78  SUN  YAT  SEN 

effort  that  came  within  an  ace  of  succeed- 
ing. 

And  the  shock  was  the  aggression  of  Eu- 
rope. As  the  nations  became  more  and  more 
convinced  of  the  magnitude  of  the  Chinese 
market,  they  sent  envoys  to  the  Celestial 
Empire  in  the  hope  of  creating  a good  un- 
derstanding. The  good  understanding  did 
not  follow.  There  ensued  instead  intermina- 
ble delays,  refusals  to  negotiate,  and  insane 
restrictions;  until  at  last  came  the  war  with 
Great  Britain,  and  British  artilleiw  crashed 
into  the  consciousness  of  the  sleeping  Chi- 
nese, who  was  galvanized  into  a sudden  ac- 
tivity. The  blow  to  the  Manchus  was  stag- 
gering. Their  provincial  garrisons  were  de- 
feated and  almost  destroyed  with  an  ease 
that  shook  their  confidence  in  the  prowess 
and  destiny  of  their  great  race,  and  smashed 
its  prestige  to  pieces.  They  were  disgraced 
before  their  conquered  subjects ; but  the  blow 
saved  them,  at  any  rate  for  a time.  The 
Court  of  Peking  was  roused  as  it  had  not 
been  for  two  hundred  years.  A season  of 
feverish  activity  followed;  inquiries  were  in- 
stituted as  to  the  condition  of  the  country. 
The  Emperor  gave  frequent  audiences  to  the 
mandarins.  There  is  on  record  the  report  of 
an  examination  by  the  Emperor  Tao-Kuang, 
so  full  of  interest  and  throwing  so  valuable 


EISE  OF  A OEEAT  TYRANNY  79 


a light  upon  the  Chinese  point  of  view,  that 
we  set  it  out  in  full: — 

Audience  on  the  11th  Day, 

Emperor,  Do  you  think  from  the  appear- 
ance of  things  at  Kwang-tung  that  the  Brit- 
ish barbarians  or  any  other  people  will  cause 
trouble  again? 

Answer.  No.  Britain  itself  has  got  noth- 
ing, and  when  the  British  barbarians  rebelled 
in  1841,  they  depended  entirely  on  the  power 
of  the  other  nations,  who,  with  a view  to 
open  trade,  supported  them  with  funds.  In 
the  present  year  the  (here  follow  two  words 
which  do  not  make  sense  with  the  context, 
‘‘  teen  te,’’  literally  laws  and  territory 
probably  ‘‘  subject  territories  ” were  the 
words  used)  of  Britain  yield  her  no  willing 
obedience. 

Emperor.  It  is  plain  from  this  that  these 
barbarians  always  look  on  trade  as  their  chief 
occupation,  and  are  wanting  in  any  high  pur- 
pose of  striving  for  territorial  acquisitions. 

Answer.  At  bottom  they  belong  to  the 
class  of  brutes  (dogs  and  horses) ; it  is  im- 
possible they  should  have  any  high  purpose. 

Emperor.  Hence  in  their  country  they 
have  now  a woman,  now  a man  as  their  prince 
(wang).  It  is  plain  they  are  not  worth  at- 


80 


SUN  YAT  SEN 


tending  to.  Have  they  got  like  us  any  fixed 
time  of  service  for  their  soldier’s  head? 

Answer.  Some  are  changed  once  in  two 
years,  some  once  in  three  years.  Although 
it  is  the  prince  of  these  barbarians  who  sends 
them,  they  are  in  reality  recommended  by 
the  body  of  their  merchants. 

Emperor.  "What  goods  do  the  French 
trade  in? 

Answer.  The  wares  of  the  barbarians  are 
only  camlets,  woollen  cloth,  clocks,  watches, 
cottons,  and  the  like.  All  the  countries  have 
got  them  good  or  bad. 

Emperor.  YThat  country’s  goods  are 
dearest? 

Answer.  They  have  all  got  both  dear  and 
cheap.  There  is  no  great  difference  in  their 
prices  (of  similar  articles) ; only  with  res^Dect 
to  the  camlets,  the  French  are  said  to  be  the 
best. 

Emperor.  China  has  no  want  of  silk 
fabrics  and  cottons;  what  necessity  is  there 
for  using  foreign  cottons  in  particular?  For 
instance,  wrappers  can  be  made  of  yellow  or 
pale  yellow  (for  the  palace),  and  people  out- 
side could  see  Nanking  clock  colored,  or  blue 
ones.  This  would  look  simple  and  unaf- 
fected; but  lately  foreign  flowered  cottons 
have  come  into  use  which  look  very  odd. 
Others  use  foreign  cottons  for  shirts.  Now 


MARKET  PLACE  IN  FULL  BLAST 
IN  MARKET-TOWN  OF  LAI-PU-SUA  NEAR  KITYANG 


EISE  OF  A GREAT  TYRANNY  81 


observe  me — the  highest  of  men — my  shirts 
and  inner  garments  are  all  made  of  Corean 
cottons.  I have  never  used  foreign  cottons. 

Answer,  Foreign  cotton  cloth  has  no  sub- 
stance (literally  bone),  it  is  not  good  for 
clothing. 

Emperor,  And  it  does  not  wash  well. 

Answer,  Yes,  Sire. 

Emperor,  I suppose  opium  is  bought  and 
sold  quite  openly  in  Kwang-tung. 

Answer,  I should  not  dare  to  deceive 
your  Majesty — people  do  not  dare  to  buy  and 
sell  it  openly,  but  there  is  no  small  quantity 
bought  and  sold  secretly. 

Emperor,  It  appears  to  me  that  in  this 
matter  too  there  must  be  a flourishing  period 
and  a period  of  decay.  Even  if  I were  to 
inflict  severe  punishments,  I might  punish 
to-day  and  punish  again  to-morrow,  and  all 
without  benefit.  If  we  wait  for  two  or  three 
years — for  five  or  six  years — it  will  of  course 
fall  into  disuse  of  itself. 

Answer,  Certainly,  Sire. 

Emperor,  How  is  it  with  the  levying  and 
payment  of  the  taxes  in  Kwang-tung?  How 
do  matters  stand  as  to  deficiencies  in  the  dis- 
trict treasuries? 

Answer,  In  Kwang-tung  the  fixed  regu- 
lar land  tax  is  paid  up  annually;  as  to  the 
miscellaneous  taxes — I do  not  dare  to  deceive 


82 


SUN  YAT  SEN 


your  Majesty — there  must  have  been  some 
appropriated  for  public  purposes. 

Emperor,  Can  these  appropriations  not 
be  avoided  then?  You  will  do  very  well  for 
a superintendent  of  finances.  To-morrow 
present  your  name  for  an  audience. 

Audience  on  the  12th  Day. 

Emperor.  In  your  opinion  is  opium 
dearer  or  cheaper  now  than  in  former  years  ? 
(Smiling.)  You  don’t  smoke  it — I fear  you 
cannot  tell. 

Answer.  The  local  gentry  and  literati  of 
whom  I have  inquired  state  that  opium  is 
very  cheap  at  present. 

Emperor.  Indeed.  TThy  is  it  cheap? 

Answer.  Because  its  quality  is  not  equal 
to  what  it  was  formerly. 

Emperor.  This,  now,  is  an  example  of 
prosperity  and  decay!  How  could  heaven 
and  earth  long  endure  an  article  so  destruc- 
tive to  human  life?  So,  in  the  consumption 
of  tobacco  the  Kwang-tung  leaf  being  strong 
tasted,  the  Siugtsze  weak,  those  who  have 
accustomed  themselves  to  the  strong  do  not 
of  course  like  the  weak.  Do  you  think  that 
in  future  the  British  barbarians  in  Hong 
Kong  will  go  on  quietly  or  not? 

Answer.  The  British  barbarians  have 


RISE  OF  A GREAT  TYRANNY  83 


gone  to  great  expenses  in  building  bouses 
with  the  view  of  permanently  residing  there, 
and  living  in  quiet.  Besides,  the  people  of 
Hong  Kong  and  its  neighborhood  took  at  an 
early  period  an  aversion  to  these  barbarians; 
and  local  bandits  have  long  been  waiting, 
their  mouths  watering  for  the  place.  The 
barbarians  are  therefore  constantly  in  dread, 
fearing  they  may  lose  it. 

Emperor.  So  they  have  added  to  their 
troubles  by  giving  to  themselves  another  in- 
ternal care.  However,  notwithstanding  this, 
they  have  always  got  their  own  country  for 
a haunt  (literally,  nest  and  den,  expressions 
frequently  applied  to  the  capitals  of  foreign 
sovereigns). 

Answer.  Yes,  Sire. 

Emperor.  Have  the  Governor-General 
and  the  Governor  any  difference  of  opinion 
or  not! 

Answer.  Your  slave  intreats  your  Maj- 
esty to  set  your  sacred  mind  at  rest — the 
Governor-General  and  the  Governor  not  only 
transact  their  business  in  strict  good  faith, 
but  in  all  cases  without  disagreement. 

Emperor.  That  is  well.  What  is  wanted 
is  agreement;  frequently  the  Governor-Gen- 
eral and  the  Governor  in  the  same  province 
are  at  variance. 

Answer.  Your  slave,  during  the  many 


84 


SUN  YAT  SEN 


years  he  has  been  in  Kwang-tung,  has  never 
witnessed  so  much  concord  between  the  Gov- 
ernor-General and  the  Governor. 

Emperor,  They  are  both  in  their  best 
years,  just  the  time  for  exertion;  they  ought 
to  do  their  utmost  physically  and  mentally. 
It  is  right,  too,  that  you  and  the  criminal 
judge,  their  immediate  subordinates,  when 
you  learn  anything  of  which  you  fear  they 
may  not  be  thoroughly  informed,  should  tell 
them  all  you  know.  Are  you  acquainted  with 
the  newly  appointed  judge,  Ke  shuh  tsaou! 

Answer.  No,  Sire. 

Emperor.  He  is  a very  honest,  sincere, 
and  unaffected  man,  as  you  will  know  after 
you  have  passed  half  a year  in  the  same  place 
with  him.  You  can  make  ready  for  your  de- 
parture. How  long  will  you  be  on  the  jour- 
ney? 

Answer.  Upwards  of  two  months. 

Emperor.  I reckon  that  you  will  arrive 
about  the  end  of  the  11th  or  the  beginning 
of  the  12th  month.-  Or,  allowing  a few  days 
more,  you  will  reach  Canton  about  the  middle 
of  the  12th  month. 

Thus  far  had  the  Manchu  intelligence 
evolved  in  the  middle  of  the  last  century. 
Ludicrous  as  the  Emperor’s  comments  ap- 
pear, they  yet  mark  a distinct  advance  on 


EISE  OF  A GEEAT  TYEANNY  85 


his  previous  attitude,  for  the  curiosity  and 
apprehension  he  evinced  was  more  hopeful 
than  the  blank  and  utter  indifference  it  suc- 
ceeded. But,  as  will  be  easily  understood, 
the  statecraft  of  such  a ruler  was  not  equal 
to  the  needs  of  the  situation — a situation  that 
increased  in  difficulty  and  complexity.  For 
there  followed  the  most  formidable  rising  the 
Manchus  had  been  called  upon  to  face — the 
famous  Taiping  Eebellion,  and  then,  close 
upon  its  heels,  the  war  of  1861,  with  the 
ceding  to  Britain  of  the  adjacent  peninsula 
of  Kowloon — events  that  call  for  more  than 
passing  notice,  for  they  both  contributed  in 
a marked  degree  to  the  revolution  that  has 
recently  startled  the  world. 


IV. 


THE  LAST  OF  THE  MANCHUS 

The  Taiping  Eebellion  broke  out  in 
1850.  Not  till  1864  was  it  subdued. 
During  twelve  of  the  intervening  six- 
teen years,  Nanking,  the  capital  of  Southern 
China,  was  in  the  hands  of  the  rebels.  Over 
a dozen  provinces  were  devastated,  hundreds 
of  cities  were  captured.  In  a score  of  pitched 
battles  the  imperial  troops  suffered  defeat. 
Quite  obviously  Manchu  generalship  was 
wholly  unequal  to  the  task  before  it.  The 
rebels,’’  wrote  an  officer,  “ increase  more 
and  more ; they  are  powerful  and  fierce,  their 
regulations  and  laws  being  rigorous  and 
clear.  Our  troops,  the  more  they  fight,  the 
more  they  fear!  They  have  not  a tincture 
of  discipline.  Eetreating  is  easy  to  them, 
advancing  difficult.”  Small  wonder  that  the 
cry,  “Exterminate  the  Manchus!” — a cry, 
by  the  way,  raised  during  this  very  revolu- 
tion, and  silenced  only  by  the  authority  of 
Sun  Yat  Sen — began  to  penetrate  into  the 
palace  of  Peking,  and  broke  upon  the  startled 

86 


THE  LAST  OF  THE  MANCHUS  87 


ear  of  the  Emperor  with  a new  signifi- 
cance. 

Aid  was  yet  to  come  to  the  Manchus,  how- 
ever, and  from  a strange  quarter.  While  the 
rebellion  still  raged  and  threatened,  war 
broke  out,  and  once  again  Britain  and  France 
determined  to  punish  China — this  time  per- 
haps not  in  so  righteous  a cause.  The  armies 
that  could  not  hold  their  own  against  the 
Taipings  offered  but  a feeble  resistance  to 
the  Allies,  who  swept  all  before  them, 
marched  on  Peking,  from  whence  the  Court 
had  fled,  burnt  to  the  ground  the  famous 
Summer  Palace,  and,  in  a word,  humbled 
China  to  the  dust. 

It  is  not  surprising  that  at  this  juncture, 
with  the  rebellion  rife,  with  the  capital  in 
the  hands  of  the  foreigner,  and  the  Emperor 
himself  a weak  debauchee,  upon  the  point 
of  death,  the  view  gained  ground  among  the 
literati  and  writers  that  the  dynasty  was 
doomed,  or,  as  they  put  it,  with  admirable 
politeness,  It  had  exhausted  the  mandate 
of  heaven.”  The  fortunes  of  the  Manchus 
looked  desperate  indeed.  Their  armies 
broken,  their  prestige  shattered,  exiled  from 
their  own  Court,  their  very  lives  were  in  con- 
stant danger.  It  was  at  this  crisis  that  a 
new  personality  made  itself  felt  amongst 
them — a personality  destined  to  exercise  a 


88  SUN  YAT  SEN 

decisive  influence  on  the  fortunes  of  the 
country. 

Upon  the  death  of  the  Emperor  Tao- 
Kuang  in  1850 — he  whose  engaging  conver- 
sations we  have  recorded  in  the  last  chapter 
— his  eldest  surviving  son,  aged  nineteen,  as- 
cended the  throne  under  the  reign-title  of 
Hsien-Feng.  The  period  of  mourning  over, 
a decree  was  issued  constituting  the  Em- 
peror’s harem.  All  beautiful  Manchu  maid- 
ens were  to  present  themselves  at  the  Im- 
perial Household  office  with  a view  to  a fi.rst 
selection  being  made.  The  Chinese,  it  will 
be  noted,  were  exempt  from  contributing  to 
the  choice,  owing  to  the  fact  that  the  royal 
race  persistently  intermarried — an  offence 
they  held  in  abhorrence.  Among  those  who 
came  in  tripping  obedience  to  the  nuptial 
command  was  the  young  Yehonala,  the 
daughter  of  a cadet  branch  of  the  royal  fam- 
ily. The  inner  economy  of  the  Manchu 
household  decrees  that  the  mother  of  the  Em- 
peror should  select  her  son’s  consorts,  and 
Yehonala  found  favor  with  the  old  lady.  She 
was  appointed  a concubine  of  the  rank  of 
Kuei  Jen,  or  ‘‘  honorable  person  and, 
launched  on  her  career  at  Court,  she  did  her 
utmost  to  gain  the  goodwill  of  every  one  who 
could  ser^^e  an  ambition  that  was  already  in- 
ordinate. 


THE  LAST  OF  THE  MANCHUS  89 


She  had  not  long  to  wait.  The  Emperor 
was  childless  and  known  to  be  in  broken 
health,  and  when,  therefore,  she  presented 
him  with  a son,  the  event  was  one  of  national 
importance.  The  authority  she  obtained  as 
mother  of  the  heir  apparent  was  instantly 
felt.  Her  colleague,  the  Empress  Consort 
(who  was  of  course  the  Emperor’s  official 
wife),  took  little  or  no  active  interest  in  the 
business  of  government.  The  Emperor, 
stricken  with  paralysis,  soon  broke  down 
completely,  and  Yehonala  became  the  real 
ruler  of  the  Chinese  Empire.  All  the  busi- 
ness of  the  imperial  city  and  of  the  Empire 
came  to  depend  upon  her  word,  and  in  a 
country  where  no  woman  is  supposed 
to  rule,  a young  girl  of  twenty-two  was 
paramount. 

It  is  strangely  interesting  to  watch  the  first 
manifestations  of  the  fierce  spirit  that  for 
sixty  years  was  to  control  the  destinies  of 
China.  At  once  she  arrested  the  downward 
course  of  things.  She  stopped,  always  of 
course  in  the  Emperor’s  name,  the  negotia- 
tions for  peace  with  Britain  and  France,  and 
issued  the  most  vigorous  edict  which  had  pro- 
ceeded from  the  Manchu  throne  for  years. 
It  explained  that : — ^ ‘ Any  further  forbear- 
ance on  our  part  would  be  a dereliction  of 
our  duty  to  the  Empire,  so  that  we  have  now 


90 


SUN  YAT  SEN 


commanded  our  armies  to  attack  them — i.e., 
the  barbarians — with  all  possible  energy,  and 
we  have  now  directed  the  local  gentry  to  or- 
ganize trained  bands,  and  with  them  either 
to  join  in  the  attack  or  to  block  the  bar- 
barians’ advance.  Hereby  we  make  offer  of 
the  following  rewards:  For  the  head  of  a 
black  barbarian  50  taels,  and  for  the  head  of 
a white  barbarian  100  taels;  for  the  capture 
of  a barbarian  leader,  alive  or  dead,  500 
taels;  and  for  the  seizure  or  destruction  of  a 
barbarian  vessel  5,000  taels.  The  inhabitants 
of  Tientsin  are  reputed  brave.  Let  them 
now  come  forward  and  rid  us  of  these  pesti- 
lential savages,  either  by  open  attack  or  by 
artifice.  We  are  no  lovers  of  war,  but  all 
our  people  must  admit  that  this  has  been 
forced  on  us.” 

‘‘  The  barbarians’  superiority,”  another 
edict  explained,  ‘‘  lies  in  their  firearms,  but 
if  we  could  only  bring  them  to  a hand-to-hand 
engagement  they  will  be  unable  to  get  their 
artillery  to  bear,  and  thus  shall  our  victory 
be  assured.  The  Mongolian  Manchu  horse- 
men are  quite  useless  for  this  kind  of  war- 
fare, but  the  men  of  Hupei  and  Ssii-ch’uan 
are  as  agile  as  monkeys  and  adepts  at  the 
use  of  cover  in  secret  approaches.  Let  them 
but  surprise  these  bandits  once,  and  their 
rout  is  inevitable  . . . for  bravery  and 


THE  LAST  OF  THE  MANCHUS  91 


good  service  there  will  be  great  rewards.  A 
most  important  decree.” 

Shortsighted  and  futile  as  these  decrees 
appear,  there  breathed  in  them  a new  spirit 
of  resolution  and  of  purpose  that  had  an  im- 
mediate effect  upon  the  Chinese  tempera- 
ment, and  raised  their  real  author  high  in 
official  estimation.  True,  they  were  followed 
by  an  inglorious  surrender  and  an  almost 
abject  peace — an  inevitable  result  that  states- 
men would  have  foreseen.  But  it  is  not  al- 
ways statecraft  and  a wide  vision  of  affairs 
that  impresses  Eastern,  or  for  the  matter  of 
that  Western,  peoples,  so  much  as  tenacity 
and  pluck.  Yehonala  soon  gave  plenty  of 
evidence  of  both  these  qualities.  At  Jehol, 
where  the  Emperor  lay  dying,  affairs  had 
fallen  somewhat  under  the  dominion  of 
Prince  Yi,  with  whom  were  associated  as 
Grand  Councillors  the  Prince  Tuan  Hua  and 
the  imperial  clansman  Su  Shun.  These  three 
noblemen,  recognizing  that  the  Emperor’s 
end  was  near  and  that  a Eegency  would  be 
necessary,  determined  on  securing  that  power 
for  themselves.  Prince  Yi  was  nominally  the 
leader  of  this  conspiracy,  but  its  instigator 
was  Su  Shun.  Su  Shun  had  an  immense  for- 
tune. It  had  been  at  his  instance  that  the 
Secretaries  of  the  Board  of  Eevenue  had  been 
cashiered  on  a charge  of  making  illicit  profits. 


92 


SUX  YAT  SEX 


Upon  tliis  accusation  he  had  obtained  the 
arrest  of  over  one  hundred  notables  and  rich 
merchants,  and  kept  them  in  custody  of  no 
gentle  kind  until  they  had  been  ransomed 
with  enormous  sums.  It  was  thus  that  there 
was  founded  a fortune  so  enormous  that,  as 
we  shall  see,  it  survived  even  the  extrava- 
gance of  the  Chinese  Court  for  over  half  a 
century. 

There  can  be  no  doubt  that  Su  Shun’s 
possession  of  this  vast  fortune  was  no  incon- 
siderable factor  in  shaping  the  conduct  of 
Yehonala.  Apparently  she  made  no  effort 
to  combat  the  influence  of  the  three  con- 
spirators on  the  dying  Emperor,  but  she 
thoughtfully  abstracted  the  seal  which,  kept 
in  the  personal  custody  of  the  Emperor  and 
bearing  the  characters  “ lawfully  trans- 
mitted authority,”  is  absolutely  necessary 
to  establish  the  authenticity  of  the  first  edict 
of  a new  reign,  confident  that,  when  the  death 
of  the  Emperor  came,  the  advantage  would 
remain  with  her.  When  the  Emperor  passed 
away,  Su  Shun  and  his  friends  found  them- 
selves saddled  with  another  dilemma.  Either 
as  Eegents  they  had  to  escort  the  royal  bier 
back  to  Peking  or  to  outrage  etiquette  and 
opmion  by  leaving  it  to  take  care  of  itself 
and  hurrying  back  to  the  capital.  They 
shrank  from  this  course,  which  would  have 


THE  LAST  OF  THE  MANCHUS  93 


ranged  against  them  both  Chinese  and  Man- 
chu  feeling.  This  gave  Yehonala  her  chance. 
The  funeral  cortege  necessarily  made  slow 
progress.  Hers  was  rapid.  She  reached  the 
capital  some  days  before  the  Kegents,  and 
at  once  busied  herself  with  the  task  of  giving 
them  a warm  reception,  enlisting  very  readily 
the  help  of  Pince  Kung,  the  Emperor’s  uncle, 
whom,  as  she  ascertained,  the  conspirators 
intended  to  execute.  When  Su  Shun  and  his 
friends  arrived  at  Peking  they  found  Yeho- 
nala in  possession.  The  troops,  the  nobles, 
the  officials,  all  were  on  her  side.  They  were 
seized  and  imprisoned.  Pince  Yi  and  Prince 
Yuan  were  permitted  to  commit  suicide,” 
and  Su  Shun  was  decapitated.  Thus  did  Ye- 
honala inaugurate  her  reign — nominally, 
that  of  her  son — of  All-Pervading  Tran- 

quillity! ” 

At  first  the  words  seemed  not  ill-chosen. 
Peace  was  concluded  with  the  Allies.  The 
Taipings  were  defeated  and  finally  crushed 
by  Gordon,  who  lent  his  services  to  the 
Chinese  Government.  A wise  ruler  would 
have  seized  the  opportunity  to  inaugurate 
some  of  those  reforms  that,  it  was  even  then 
glaringly  apparent,  China  stood  in  urgent 
need  of.  But  the  Empress  Dowager  recked 
little  of  reform.  She  was  a typical  Man- 
chu,  bold,  alert,  resourceful,  but  knowing  lit- 


94 


SUX  YAT  SEX 


tie  and  caring  less  for  foreign  ideas  or  West- 
ern notions.  She  was  on  the  throne  of  China, 
mistress  of  the  vastest  empire  in  the  world. 
To  cement  her  power  she  had  the  vast  for- 
tune of  Su  Shun,  some  of  whose  millions,  it 
is  said,  still  lie  in  the  vaults  at  the  palace.^ 
Little  by  little  her  authority  grew,  until  it 
transcended  the  power  of  any  of  the  Manchu 
Emperors  of  the  past.  It  became  a danger- 
ous matter  to  oppose  her  will.  Those  who  did 
so  were  one  by  one  removed.  Prince  Kung 
was  the  first  to  feel  her  displeasure.  The 
incident  is  thus  related  by  Messrs.  Bland  and 
Backhouse  in  their  “ China  under  the  Em- 
press Dowager.’^  In  a moment  of  absent- 
mindedness  or  bravado  Prince  Kung  ven- 
tured to  rise  from  his  knee  during  an  audi- 
ence, thus  violating  a fundamental  rule  of 
etiquette  originally  instituted  to  guard  the 
Sovereign  against  any  sudden  attack.  The 
attendant  eunuchs  promptly  informed  their 
Majesties  ’’  (who,  it  should  be  noted,  spoke 
to  their  ministers  from  behind  a curtain), 

whereupon  the  Empress  Dowager  called 
loudly  for  help,  exclaiming  that  the  Priace 
was  about  to  execute  some  evU  treachery 
against  the  person  of  the  Eegents.  The 

^ They  were,  at  all  events,  found  there  on  the  return  of 
the  Court  to  Peking  in  1900,  after  the  flight  following  the 
Boxer  rebellion. 


THE  LAST  OF  THE  MANCHUS  95 


guards  rushed  in  and  Prince  Kung  was  or- 
dered to  leave  the  royal  presence.’’  Later 
he  was  suspended  from  his  high  office,  be- 
cause,” said  the  edict,  his  rebellious 
and  usurping  tendencies  must  be  sternly 
checked.”  Others  were  less  fortunate  than 
Prince  Kung.  The  Empress  Tzu  An,  her  co- 
Eegent,  yielding  and  conciliatory  to  a degree, 
yet  lived  to  incur  the  Empress  Dowager’s 
displeasure.  She  fell  ill  of  a sudden  and 
mysterious  sickness.  Her  death  was  gen- 
erally attributed  to  poison,  and  no  one  had 
any  doubts  as  to  the  poisoner. 

Blacker  deeds  than  poison  have  been  es- 
tablished against  the  Empress  Dowager. 
Her  son,  when  he  attained  his  majority,  thus 
ending  the  Eegency,  refused  to  submit  state 
documents  for  her  inspection.  There  were 
serious  differences — and  an  early  death  of 
the  Emperor.  All  commentators,”  say 
Messrs.  Bland  and  Backhouse,  agree  that 
the  Empress  Dowager  encouraged  the  youth- 
ful Emperor’s  tendencies  to  dissipated  hab- 
its, but  when  these  had  resulted  in  a serious 
illness  she  allowed  it  to  work  havoc  with  his 
delicate  constitution  without  providing  him 
with  such  medical  assistance  as  might  have 
been  available.”  Worse  remains.  The 
young  Emperor  left  a wife,  A-lu-te,  who  at 
the  time  of  his  death  was  enceinte.  Now,  in 


96 


SUN  YAT  SEN 


the  event  of  the  Emperor’s  child  succeeding 
his  dead  father,  the  Empress  Dowager’s 
power  would  have  been  gone,  because  the 
Empress  A-lu-te  would  have  then  become 
Empress  Dowager  and  would  have  secured 
the  Begency.  Accordingly,  the  Dowager 
Empress  insisted  on  the  election  of  another 
infant  Emperor  at  all  costs  and  in  ^dolation 
of  the  law  of  dynastic  succession.  The  infant 
son  of  Prince  Ch’un  was  selected  for  the 
throne.  A-lu-te,  her  own  child  born,  com- 
mitted suicide,  and  the  Old  Buddha,”  as 
Yehonala  had  come  to  be  called  by  the  peo- 
ple, was  left  in  supreme  authority. 

But,  jealous  as  she  was  of  power,  there 
were  those  who  obtained  enormous  influence 
over  her  and  through  her  on  the  Empire. 
One  of  the  grossest  evils  of  Chinese  govern- 
ment— an  evil  that  under  the  Empress  Dow- 
ager obtained  dreadful  dimensions — is  the 
demoralizing  influence  of  the  eunuch  system 
on  the  Court  and  its  immediate  entourage. 
There  has  scarcely  been  a reformer  in  China 
who  has  not  placed  first  the  abolition  of  this 
system,  now  swept  away  at  last  with  the 
dynasty  on  which  it  battened.  It  is  difficult, 
nay  impossible,  to  say  how  much  mischief 
has  been  caused  in  the  past  by  these  irre- 
sponsible advisers  of  the  Throne.  It  is  said 


THE  LAST  OF  THE  MANCHUS  97 


that  the  Boxer  risings,  and  the  support  given 
them  by  the  Empress  Dowager,  were  both 
dictated  by  the  part  which  her  favorite  eu- 
nuch, Li-Lien-Ying,  played  in  fomenting 
opinion  against  the  foreigners.  Who  can 
tell?  But  the  power  of  the  eunuchs,  ubiqui- 
tous and  insistent,  with  their  constant  access 
to  the  person  of  the  Sovereign,  their  intimate 
knowledge  of  that  Sovereign’s  tastes  and 
moods,  was  no  doubt  immense,  and  through- 
out the  Empress  Dowager’s  reign,  while  she 
remained  utterly  irresponsive  to  representa- 
tions from  outside  the  Forbidden  City,  while, 
for  instance,  she  could  not  be  moved  by  the 
earnest  appeal  of  men  so  capable  as  Li- 
Hung-Chang  or  Yuan-Shi-Kai,  yet  to  the 
whispers  of  the  palace  eunuchs  she  lent  a 
ready  ear. 

The  inner  history  of  the  Celestial  Empire 
and  of  the  Manchu  dynasty  is  inextricably 
bound  up  with  the  eunuchs  and  their  far- 
reaching  intrigues.  During  the  half-century 
of  the  Empress  Dowager’s  rule,  the  power 
behind  the  throne,  literally  a power  of  dark- 
ness in  high  places,  was  that  of  her  favorite 
chamberlains.  There  were  not  wanting  obvi- 
ous explanations  of  their  influence.  It  was 
said  that  the  chief  eunuch,  Te  Hai,  only  nom- 
inally answered  to  that  description,  and 
that,  in  fact,  the  Empress  Dowager  had  had 


98 


SUN  YAT  SEX 


a son  by  him — a son  whose  birth  pamphle- 
teers record  with  much  detail — who  is  said 
to  be  still  abroad  in  the  land.  More,  strange 
and  dreadful  stories  of  nameless  depravities 
committed  in  the  palace  spread  through 
Southern  China.  The  licentious  festivities 
of  the  Court  were  the  subject  of  many  a 
rival  ballad.  Tales  of  wild  orgies  began  to 
be  circulated.  No  one  can  doubt  that  the 
Empress  Dowager,  now  she  felt  her  position 
established,  surrendered  herself  to  a life  of 
unrestrained  excesses,  tempered  only  by  such 
attention  to  affairs  as  was  necessary  to  re- 
tain her  own  supremacy.  Eemonstrance 
proved  vain.  The  cynical  and  selfish  woman 
who  sat  upon  the  throne  of  China  was  an 
adept  in  misleading  opinion,  and  to  the  mem- 
orials of  the  Censor  she  replied  by  edicts 
impressive  only  to  those  who  did  not  know 
the  facts.  “ At  a time  like  this,”  she  wrote, 
when  rebellions  are  still  raging,  and  our 
people  are  in  sore  distress,  when  our  treas- 
uries are  empty,  and  our  revenues  iusufficient 
for  the  needs  of  government,  our  hearts  are 
heavy  with  sorrowful  thoughts,  and  must  be 
so,  especially  as  long  as  His  late  Majesty’s 
remains  have  not  yet  been  borne  to  their  final 
resting-place.  How,  then,  could  we  possibly 
permit  such  a state  of  things  as  the  Censor 
describes?  ” 


THE  LAST  OF  THE  MANCHUS  99 


And  so  tlie  solemn  farce  went  on.  In  ad- 
mirable language  the  Empress  enjoined  vir- 
tue, and  continued  to  practise  the  most 
flagrant  vice.  And  outside  the  Forbidden 
City  millions  of  impoverished  Chinese 
worked  their  fingers  to  the  bone  that  they 
might  minister  to  her  depraved  pleasures. 
For  those  pleasures  the  public  services  were 
drained  of  money;  the  very  Navy  itself  was, 
on  the  advice  of  the  chief  eunuch,  starved 
for  years  in  order  that  the  Empress  might 
continue  the  building  of  her  Summer  Palace, 
and  once  again  the  arms  of  China  had  to 
suffer  dishonor — this  time  by  Japan — to 
gratify  the  luxurious  whims  of  a woman,  the 
price  of  whose  self-indulgence  was  the  degra- 
dation of  her  people. 

And  all  the  time  the  tigress  was  on  the 
pounce,  quick  to  scent  hostility  to  herself  and 
unsparing  in  her  measures  to  suppress  it. 
She  had  that  indescribable  quality  which  in- 
spires blind  steadfast  obedience  in  others, 
and  she  was  an  excellent  judge  of  men,  cool 
in  danger  and  never  deceived  by  adulation. 
Add  to  this  the  fact  that  the  great  masses  of 
China  were  still  sunk  in  fathomless  igno- 
rance, without  leaders,  with  no  clue  to  the 
reason  of  their  own  impoverishment  and 
misery,  unconscious  indeed  of  anything  be- 
yond, and  it  becomes  less  miraculous  that  this 


100 


SUX  YAT  SEN 


indomitable  woman  sat  secure  on  her  throne 
— the  last  of  a doomed  dynasty. 

But  keen  as  was  her  vision,  its  range  was 
narrow  and  restricted,  and  the  Old  Buddha 
did  not  perceive  that  there  were  at  work  in 
China  forces  that  could  not  be  disregarded 
with  any  safety.  First,  there  was  a new 
movement  stirring  among  the  choked  popu- 
lace of  Canton,  a movement  that  was  charged 
with  all  the  old  hostility  to  the  Manchus,  but 
tinged  also  with  broad  democratic  ideas  that 
went  far  beyond  the  restoration  of  another 
dynasty.  It  has  been  that  movement  which 
Dr.  Sun  Yat  Sen,  the  Carnot  of  the  revolu- 
tion, has  guided  to  victory.  Essentially  dem- 
ocratic in  its  character,  it  saw  no  deliverance 
for  China  unless  the  people  were  roused. 

Far  removed  from  it  in  sympathy,  but  yet 
of  unmistakable  significance,  was  the  grow- 
ing feeling  among  men  of  a different  stamp 
that  if  the  partition  of  China  was  to  be  pre- 
vented, the  time  for  reorganization  had  ar- 
rived. It  was  apparent,  woefully  apparent, 
even  to  Viceroys  so  cautious  as  Li-Hung- 
Chang  or  Yuan-Shi-Kai,  that  the  reforming 
hand  was  needed,  not  only  so  far  as  the  Army 
and  Navy  were  concerned,  but  even  more 
as  regards  China’s  educational  services;  and 
as  they  found  all  their  plans  defeated  and 
their  influence  checkmated  by  the  intrigues  of 


A TYPICAL  ANCESTRAL  TEMPLE  at  Ihm  Lou,  near  Swatow 


V 


THE  LAST  OF  THE  MANCHUS  101 


the  palace  eunuchs,  or  when  they  were 
snubbed  for  their  pains  by  the  Empress,  still 
unyielding  and  undiscerning,  they  asked 
themselves,  in  despair  of  the  ancient  regime, 
if  the  time  had  not  come  for  a Limited  Mon- 
archy and  Kepresentative  Government.  By 
degrees  the  number  of  dissatisfied  officials 
increased.  All  that  was  vital,  all  that  was 
patriotic  in  the  Chinese  bureaucracy  ranged 
itself  on  the  side  of  reform.  A time  had 
come  when  its  urgency  could  no  longer  be 
denied,  and  the  ablest  and  most  trusted  serv- 
ants of  the  Executive  besought  the  Throne 
to  put  its  house  in  order. 

What  was  the  result?  Merely  this:  that 
they  were  marked  men  to  be  got  rid  of  at 
the  first  opportunity;  and  the  last  state  of 
that  bureaucracy,  in  which  only  the  effete  and 
the  decadent  could  succeed,  was  worse  than 
the  first.  The  Eeform  Party  it  was  who 
gained  what  officialdom  lost. 

But  though  the  Empress  remained  deaf  to 
all  appeals,  that  party  found  an  enthusiastic 
and  powerful  convert. 

Kuang  Hsu,  the  son  of  Prince  Chffin,  had 
come  to  the  throne,  and  at  one  moment  of 
his  reign  it  seemed  as  if  there  were  at  long 
last  to  be  some  relief  for  the  parched  mil- 
lions of  China,  some  hope  again  for  the  lost 
grandeur  of  the  Middle  Kingdom.  For  the 


102 


SUN  YAT  SEN 


young  Emperor  lent  an  ear  to  those  who  in- 
sisted that  it  was  only  by  change,  drastic 
and  immediate,  that  the  deplorable  state  of 
the  country  and  her  defences  could  be 
amended.  Kuang  Hsii  has  been  described, 
for  some  strange  reason,  as  a decadent,  per- 
haps because  that  word  is  a convenient  term 
of  opprobrium  to  describe  those  whose  aims 
we  dislike.  The  policy  he  initiated,  however, 
smacked  little  of  decadence.  Its  faults  were 
those  of  youth,  of  inexperience,  of  an  energy 
that  recked  too  little  of  consequences  and 
that  despised  its  enemies  too  heartily  to 
measure  their  strength. 

For  ten  long  years  after  his  accession,  and 
although  the  Empress  Dowager  had  gone 
through  the  pretence  of  resignation,  she  still 
held  the  reins  in  her  hands.  True,  she  did 
not  consult  either  ministers  or  scholars.  Her 
Court  came  to  consist  only  of  eunuchs,  a few 
Manchus,  and  one  or  two  ministers  of  the 
imperial  household.  The  most  serious  study 
she  engaged  in  was  that  of  private  theat- 
ricals, for  which  she  had  a passion.  But  she 
still  pulled  the  wires,  and  her  veto  continu- 
ally blocked  the  way.  All  the  ministers  of  the 
first  and  second  degree  were  her  nominees; 
all  were  feeble  and  aged  men,  dreading  the 
idea  of  change,  which  would  end  their  posi- 
tions, and  bent  only  on  putting  difficulties  in 


THE  LAST  OF  THE  MANCHUS  103 


the  way  of  reform.  The  Emperor,  in  fact, 
had  no  power.  At  every  step  he  was  check- 
mated. He  saw  his  country  humiliated  again 
and  again.  Port  Arthur,  Ta-Lien-Wan  and 
Formosa  were  lost  in  succession.  The  Em- 
press Dowager  was  unconcerned.  The  Sum- 
mer Palace  and  her  pleasures  were  left  her 
and  for  the  rest  she  was  indifferent.  But 
as  it  happened,  the  Emperor  did  care.  I 
will  never  be  the  ruler  of  a perishing  em- 
pire,’’ he  declared.  If  I have  no  power, 
I had  better  abdicate.”  First,  however,  he 
determined  he  would  make  one  etfort  for  his 
people  while  there  was  yet  time. 

He  reasoned  that  if  he  allowed  things  to 
take  their  course,  the  ruin  of  the  Empire  was 
inevitable.  A bold  policy  might  save  the  sit- 
uation. Even  if  it  failed,  the  attempt  would 
be  worth  making  and  might  arouse  the  peo- 
ple. There  is  something  infinitely  pathetic  in 
the  struggle  of  this  young  man,  surrounded 
on  all  sides  with  the  hostile  agents  of  the 
Empress  Dowager,  with  his  ministers  thwart- 
ing him  at  every  step,  his  very  servants 
spying  on  his  conversations,  able  only  to  take 
counsel  with  his  friends  by  stealth  and  at 
odd  moments,  with  scarcely  one  honest  and 
responsible  minister  ready  to  help  him,  and 
with  the  whole  Court  ready  to  betray  him  at 
the  first  false  step.  Despite  all,  he  persisted. 


104 


SUN  YAT  SEN 


He  was  under  no  illusions  as  to  the  probabil- 
ity of  his  own  defeat,  but  he  was  resolved  to 
take  the  risk. 

‘‘  Let  the  farce  of  ruling  go,’’  he  wrote; 

let  poison,  let  assassination  come.  With 
death,  I shall  deliver  up  my  imperial  charge. 
With  death,  I shall  report  myself  to  my  an- 
cestors. With  death,  I shall  be  worthy  of  my 
400,000,000  subjects.  I would  rather  be  as- 
sassinated and  have  my  will  made  known  to 
the  people,  than  be  a prince  under  a foreign 
yoke,  or  have  my  life  saved  to  serve  as  a 
menial,  and  bear  the  disgrace  of  a lost  em- 
pire. From  the  time  I was  made  to  rule  ten 
years  ago,  I have  secretly  been  longing  all 
the  time  for  an  opportunity  to  act.  I hated 
the  idea  of  losing  Annam.  Again,  I was  in- 
dignant at  the  idea  of  being  shorn  of  Man- 
churia and  Formosa,  and  a third  time  I was 
indignant  at  being  shorn  of  Kiaochow  and 
Port  Arthur.  My  mind  being  full  of  indigna- 
tion, I deeply  pondered  over  all  the  circum- 
stances, and  I saw  no  other  course  but  to 
risk  my  life  on  behalf  of  the  Empire.  ’ ’ 

The  Emperor,  in  a word,  staked  everything 
on  reform.  Once  determined,  he  acted  with 
vigor  and  with  almost  open  defiance  of  the 
Empress  Dowager.  He  abolished  the  old  ex- 
amination system,  which  had  been  in  force 
since  the  days  of  the  Sing  dynasty,  and  sub- 


THE  LAST  OF  THE  MANCHUS  105 


stituted  papers  on  practical  subjects,  includ- 
ing a knowledge  of  the  history  of  other  coun- 
tries and  of  contemporary  politics.  He 
sought  to  provide  for  the  reorganization  of 
the  effete  Manchu  troops  of  the  metropolitan 
province  and  for  the  founding  of  colleges  and 
high  schools  in  the  provinces  to  correspond 
to  the  University  at  Peking.  More,  he  ar- 
ranged for  the  publication  of  official  gazettes 
all  over  the  Empire.  These  gazettes  were 
to  be  official  newspapers,  and  their  object  the 
diffusion  of  general  knowledge.  Abuses  were 
to  be  exposed  by  their  means,  and  opinions 
freely  expressed,  and  the  Government  were 
to  subsidize  the  organs.  Nothing,  in  fact, 
would  suffice  for  the  long-imprisoned  energy 
of  the  Emperor.  Eailway  and  mining  bu- 
reaus were  to  be  established  in  Peking.  A 
Translation  Department  was  inaugurated  to 
publish  standard  works  in  foreign  languages 
on  Political  Economy  and  Natural  Science. 
The  Navy  was  to  be  thoroughly  overhauled 
and  brought  up  to  date.  All  that  China  under 
the  Manchus  had  despised  and  rejected,  all 
that  China  had  to  learn  from  Western  na- 
tions, all  that  she  stood  most  in  need  of, 
was  at  last  to  be  placed  within  her  reach. 
And  for  a moment  the  reformers  dared  to 
hope.  But  alas ! they  reckoned  without  their 
host.  The  Old  Buddha,  when  she  heard  of 


106 


SUN  YAT  SEN 


these  reforms,  was  en  retraite  at  her  SummeT 
Palace.  She  uttered  not  one  word  against 
them. 

Secretly  she  expressed  her  approval  of 
them  to  the  Emperor,  and  as  secretly  organ- 
ized opposition  to  them,  checkmating  the 
young  enthusiast  wherever  possible  by  play- 
ing on  the  prejudices  of  antiquated  officials, 
by  ridiculing  the  new  plans,  and  by  organiz- 
ing against  them  all  the  vested  interests  that 
they  threatened  to  end  for  the  common  good. 
The  Manchus,  alarmed  beyond  expression  at 
some  of  the  proposals,  besought  her  to  return 
and  again  conduct  the  Government. 

The  time  was  not  yet,  she  told  them — they 
must  wait.  At  last  came  a decree  abolishing 
a number  of  sinecures  and  useless  Govern- 
ment posts,  and  the  indignation  at  the  Em- 
peror’s action  rose  to  boiling-point.  He  be- 
came aware,  bitterly  aware,  of  the  storm 
threatening  him,  and  determined  on  bold 
measures.  He  realized  that  so  long  as  the 
Empress  Dowager  remained  in  the  field 
against  him  he  would,  at  the  best,  find  his 
policy  negatived;  at  the  worst,  he  would  be 
supplanted.  He  determined  to  seize  the  Em- 
press Dowager  and  to  kill  Jung  Lu,  her  chief 
agent  and  favorite  eunuch,  who  was  conspir- 
ing against  him.  It  is  said  that  the  plan  was 
overheard  by  another  eunuch,  who  betrayed 


THE  LAST  OF  THE  MANCHUS  107 


it  to  the  enemy.  Who  can  tell?  The  Em- 
peror himself,  to  the  day  of  his  death,  and  on 
his  very  death-bed,  blamed  Yuan-Shi-Kai, 
with  whom  he  entrusted  the  arrangements, 
and  who  betrayed  him  instantly  to  the  Em- 
press. 

It  is  urged  that  the  betrayal  can,  as  a mat- 
ter of  policy,  be  justified:  that  the  Emperor 
had  gone  too  far,  and  that  the  Manchus 
would  have  had  the  Old  Buddha  back  in  any 
case.  Perhaps  there  is  a case  to  be  made 
out  in  defence  of  Yuan’s  action  on  these  lines, 
though  the  Reform  Party  in  China  have 
never  ceased  to  execrate  the  act.  In  any  case 
it  ruined  the  Emperor.  He  was  seized,  im- 
prisoned, and  virtually  made  to  abdicate. 
The  Empress  Dowager  was  back  on  the 
throne,  and  the  chance  of  reform  from  within 
went  by  for  ever,  and  with  it  the  last  hope  of 
preserving  the  Manchu  dynasty. 


V 


THE  STKUGGLE 

The  present  reform  movement,  altliough 
simmering  for  many  years,  found  con- 
crete expression  in  1895  by  the  forma- 
tion of  a “ Young  China  Party  in  Canton. 
Sun  Yat  Sen  was  an  early  adherent,  and 
speedily  became  a prominent  member ; a 
peaceful  reform  was  desired;  letters  couched 
in  temperate  terms  were  forwarded  to  the 
Throne  pointing  out  the  serious  state  of  mind 
of  the  people,  and  stating  what  was  required 
to  insure  good  government.  The  essence  of 
the  movement  was  the  establishment  of  a 
form  of  constitutional  government  to  sup- 
plement the  corrupt  and  worn-out  system 
under  which  China  was  being  ruled.  These 
petitions  were  taken  no  notice  of  for  a time. 
The  Government  were  at  the  moment  en- 
gaged in  warding  otf  the  advance  of  the 
Japanese  upon  Peking,  and  it  was  only  after 
the  Japanese  question  was  settled  that  the 
petitioners  for  reform  were  denounced  as 
traitors  and  their  suppression  commanded. 

108 


THE  STRUGGLE 


109 


It  was  evident  that  force  would  be  the  only 
means  by  which  the  Manchu  rulers  could  be 
brought  to  terms,  and  as  soon  as  this  deci- 
sion was  arrived  at  men  and  money  were  to 
hand.  A large  number  of  disbanded  soldiers, 
after  the  war  with  the  Japanese,  were  in  Can- 
ton. The  reformers  enlisted  these  men  in 
their  service,  and  upon  a certain  day  in 
October,  1895,  a plan  was  arranged  for  the 
capture  of  Canton,  and  the  disposal  of  the 
authorities,  but  without  bloodshed  if  pos- 
sible. Arms,  ammunition,  and  dynamite 
were  accumulated ; soldiers  were  posted  ready 
to  fall  upon  the  city,  and  a strong  force  of 
some  four  hundred  men  were  to  join  them 
from  Hong  Kong. 

The  reform  committee  were  assembled  on 
the  afternoon  of  the  day  before  that  chosen 
for  the  rising,  when  news  came  that  the  in- 
tentions of  the  reformers  were  discovered. 
Some  of  the  soldiers  fled,  others  were  caught, 
the  committee  escaped  as  best  they  could;  the 
contingent  from  Hong  Kong  were  arrested 
on  reaching  Canton  by  steamer,  and  Sun, 
after  many  vicissitudes,  reached  Macao ; 
thence  he  proceeded  to  Hong  Kong  and  left 
for  Honolulu,  as  related  before.  Since  then 
several  armed  risings  eventuated.  The  great 
desire  of  the  reformers  was  to  obtain  pos- 
session of  an  arsenal;  the  reason  being  that 


110 


SUN  YAT  SEN 


although  they  could  buy  arms,  guns,  and  am- 
munition, the  ammunition  was  soon  ex- 
hausted, and  there  was  no  ready  means  of 
replenishing  the  store.  More  than  one  of  the 
risings  collapsed  from  this  cause;  and,  just 
when  victory  was  in  sight,  the  news  that  there 
was  no  more  ammunition  available  where- 
with to  carry  on  the  conflict  caused  the  re- 
formers’ army  to  desist,  retreat  and  dis- 
band. 

In  another  carefully  planned  rising, 
“ Black  Flag  ” troops  were  collected  and 
assembled  in  a valley  surrounded  by  a cir- 
cle of  hills,  inland  from  Macao,  and  within 
striking  distance  of  Canton;  the  passes  in 
the  hills  were  seized  and  held  by  the  rebel 
soldiers,  whose  presence  was  prevented  being 
noised  abroad  by  neither  entrance  nor  exit 
being  allowed  to  any  one.  Here  the  troops 
awaited  their  leader  and  his  officers.  The 
officers  consisted  of  trained  soldiers  from 

1 may  not  yet  say  from  whence  they 

came.  The  contingent  of  officers,  to  the 
number  of  forty,  assembled  in  Hong  Kong, 
and  Sun  set  out  to  join  them,  but  to  his 
chagrin  and  the  discomfiture  of  his  plans  he 
was  not  allowed  to  land.  Whilst  on  board  the 
boat  in  Hong  Kong  harbor,  however,  he  got 
the  news  that  two  of  his  trusted  intimate 
supporters  (his  acting  secretary  and  treas- 


THE  STRUGGLE 


111 


urer),  travelling  by  an  earlier  steamer,  bad 
been  prevented  landing  in  Hong  Kong  and 
taken  on  to  Singapore,  where  they  were 
arrested  and  found  to  have  a large  sum  of 
money  upon  them  (really  the  reformers’ 
treasury).  Sun  had  to  go  on  to  Singapore, 
and  after  long  and  patient  interviews  he 
succeeded  in  proving  that  the  money  was  for 
commercial  purposes  and  got  it  returned  to 
him.  The  delay,  however,  was  fatal  to  the 
projected  expedition. 

When  Sun  returned  to  Hong  Kong  he 
found  the  officers  had  departed,  that  the  sol- 
diers were  still  cooped  up  in  the  retreat  in 
the  hills,  and  as  he  could  not  join  them, 
being  carefully  watched,  he  had  instead  to 
send  a message  to  the  troops  to  the  effect 
that  they  were  to  march  straight  across  the 
country  and  join  him  out  on  the  coast  farther 
north — a march  of  many  hundreds  of  miles. 
These  adventurous  men  did  so,  brushing 
aside  several  attacks  upon  them,  and  met 
Sun  at  the  appointed  place  on  the  coast. 
The  troops  were  then  disbanded  for  the  time 
being,  and  went  away  ‘‘  resolved  to  meet 
some  other  day.” 

Another  military  expedition  took  place 
from  the  south,  some  three  years  ago,  from 
the  Annam  border,  when  the  reformers’ 
troops  spread  over  Kwang-si  and  Kwang- 


112 


SUN  YAT  SEN 


tung  provinces  and  threatened  Canton,  again 
in  the  hopes  of  gaining  possession  of  an 
arsenal.  Success  at  first  crowned  their  ef- 
forts; the  inhabitants  welcomed  them  every- 
where, but  the  same  nemesis  overtook  them, 
for  the  ammunition  gave  out  as  Canton  was 
just  within  their  grasp. 

The  last  great  effort  was  in  1911.  The 
outbreak  occurred  at  Wu-chang,  on  the  Yang- 
tse  river,  just  above  Hankow,  with  the  result 
we  know.  The  outbreak  occurred  in  conse- 
quence of  an  attempt  to  disaim  the  regular 
troops,  a circumstance  which  requires  some 
explanation.  The  foreign-drilled  troops  of 
China  had  increased  in  numbers,  in  equip- 
ment, and  efficiency  during  late  years  under 
the  able  direction  of  Yuan-Shih-Kai  until 
they  numbered,  in  the  beginning  of  the  year 
1911,  some  130,000  men.  That  these  men 
were  well  trained  is  admitted  everywhere, 
and  their  courage  and  efficiency  were  put  to 
an  early  test  during  the  Boxer  Eising,  when 
they  were  attacked  by  the  naval  contingent 
of  mixed  European  troops  in  their  attempted 
march  from  Tientsin  to  Peking. 

The  Chinese  soldiers  put  up  so  good  a 
fight  that  the  foreign  troops  had  to  retire; 
before  superior  numbers  it  is  true,  but  all 
the  foreign  officers  were  impressed  with  the 
valor  and  intelligence  with  which  the  Chinese 


THE  STRUGGLE 


113 


fought.  Had  the  foreign-drilled  army  con- 
tinued to  be  content  with  Manchu  rule,  the 
hopes  of  the  reformers  to  gain  their  ends 
would  have  been  hopeless.  Sun  Yat  Sen’s 
doctrine  of  freedom  had,  however,  prevailed 
with  the  officers  even  in  the  highest  ranks; 
and  as  long  as  three  years  ago  he  was  aware 
that  well-nigh  half  the  foreign-drilled  army 
were  ready  to  support  his  cause,  and  by 
January,  1911,  three-fourths  of  the  army 
were  pledged  to  help  the  reformers.  The 
Government  authorities,  well  informed  al- 
ways, had  come  to  know  of  the  changed  tem- 
per of  the  troops,  and  began  to  disarm  and 
disband  the  suspected  regiments.  This  was 
successfully  done  at  Nanking  and  elsewhere. 
At  Hankow  and  Wu-chang  two  regiments 
were  also  disarmed,  but  a third  refused  to 
give  up  their  arms,  and  the  fight  began.  The 
rebellion  broke  out  some  nine  months  before 
the  selected  date;  Sun  Yat  Sen  was  abroad 
in  America,  much  to  his  chagrin.  He  could 
not  reach  China  by  way  of  the  Pacific,  as  he 
was  being  carefully  watched.  So  he  found 
his  way  surreptitiously  to  New  York  and 
thence  to  London,  accompanied  by  General 
Homer  Lea,  the  well-known  author  of  The 
Valor  of  Ignorance,”  who  had  become  so  de- 
voted to  Sun  and  his  cause  that  he  left  his 
home,  although  in  delicate  health,  determined 


114 


SUN  YAT  SEN 


to  proceed  to  China  and  assist  in  the  organi- 
zation of  the  reformers’  army.  Whilst  in 
London  Sun  saw  statesmen,  soldiers,  sailors, 
bankers,  and  other  influential  men,  with  re- 
sults which  will  be  kno^vn  in  the  near  future. 
He  left  London  for  Paris  November  20, 
1911.  In  Singapore  he  met  with  an  enthu- 
siastic reception  from  his  fellow-countrymen, 
and  more  important  still,  perhaps,  his  coun- 
trywomen. In  Hong  Kong,  forbidden  terri- 
tory to  him  for  many  years,  he  was  allowed  to 
land,  and  proceeded  from  thence  to  Shang- 
hai, where  again  he  was  afforded  a hearty 
welcome.  The  Provisional  Eeform  Govern- 
ment set  up  in  Nanking  invited  him  to  be- 
come their  President,  a position  he  at  first 
declined,  but  ultimately,  to  the  great  joy  of 
the  people,  reluctantly  consented  to  accept. 
The  subsequent  doings  of  this  party  are  com- 
mon knowledge  to-day,  and  the  forbearance, 
the  patriotic  spirit  in  which  the  temporary 
Eepublican  Government,  under  Sun’s  direc- 
tion, has  conducted  affairs  has  gained  the 
approbation  and  admiration  of  the  whole 
world.  At  the  moment  of  writing  Sun  has 
retired  from  the  presidency.  Three  times 
did  he  press  upon  Yuan-Shih-Kai  to  take  up 
the  position  in  his  stead,  and  at  last  suc- 
ceeded in  persuading  him  to  do  so.  The  vice- 
presidency is  announced  to  have  been  offered 


THE  STEUGGLE 


115 


to,  and  accepted  by,  General  Li-Yuan-Hung. 
This  gallant  soldier  led  the  Eepublican 
troops  to  victory  after  victory  in  the  fight- 
ing around  Hankow  and  established  their  su- 
periority in  the  field.  General  Li,  by  his 
moderation,  his  protection  of  the  lives  and 
property  of  non-combatants,  his  avoidance 
of  reprisals  upon  his  enemies,  as  much  as 
by  his  skilful  generalship,  has  gained  uni- 
versal respect  and  esteem.  Sun’s  friends 
and  well-wishers,  in  other  words  most  of  the 
civilized  world,  are  anxiously  asking:  What 
about  Sun  I What  is  his  position  to  be?  To 
those  who  know  him  intimately  his  behavior 
is  what  was  expected  of  him.  Self-seeking 
is  foreign  to  his  very  nature ; publicity  plays 
no  part  in  the  life  of  this  extraordinary  man. 
Although  he  has  visited  and  declared  his  be- 
lief before  many  audiences  in  many  coun- 
tries, Sun’s  desire  is,  and  always  has  been, 
to  be  left  out  of  the  picture.  He  loves  his 
neighbor  more  than  himself,  and  he  puts  his 
country  before  all. 

Sun  considers  his  life’s  work  accom- 
plished, and  he  leaves  his  country  to  be  gov- 
erned, as  he  himself  affirms,  by  abler  hands 
than  his.  The  acknowledgment  of  Sun’s 
great  work  has  been  tardily  admitted  by  the 
“ authorities  ” and  the  Press.  By  some  of 
these  his  very  name  was  withheld  from  pub- 


116 


SUX  YAT  SEX 


lication  as  long  as  possible,  and  when  men- 
tioned by  others  it  was  mostly  in  terms  of 
something  akin  to  amusement  at  his  pre- 
sumption. In  conversation  he  was  smilingly 
alluded  to  as  ‘‘  your  troublesome  friend.” 
It  is  to  be  hoped  that  Sun’s  forbearance  is 
for  China’s  good;  that  it  is  to  his  credit 
all  allow ; but  the  future  alone  can  decide  the 
question  of  whether  China  will  be  more  ably 
conducted  through  her  troubles  without  his 
presence  and  control  in  the  councils  of  the 
country.  That  he  may  be  called  to  high  office 
in  the  immediate  future  is  more  than  prob- 
able; that  he  will  accept  it  if  his  country 
calls  is  a foregone  conclusion;  but  it  will  be 
necessity  and  not  choice  that  will  induce  him 
to  resume  the  presidency  he  has  just  re- 
signed. 

The  chief  reason  of  Sun  Yat  Sen  being 
held  up  to  something  approaching  ridicule 
by  the  Legations,  the  officials  of  the  Imperial 
Maritime  Customs,  the  Consuls,  the  Old 
China  hands,  and  the  “ authorities  ” on 

things  Chinese,”  who  advised  the  Press  in 
Europe,  was  that  a republic  in  China  was  an 
impossibility,  and  that  any  man  who  could 
think  of  such  a thing  must  be  a dreamer,  a 
faddist,  and  a danger  to  China.  When  the 
revolution  broke  out  in  Xovember,  1911,  the 
idea  that  it  was  serious  was  ridiculed  by 


THE  STEUGGLE  117 

those  whom  the  Press  consulted  in  the  mat- 
ter. 

These  ‘‘  authorities  ’’  stated  that  a revolu- 
tion of  the  kind  in  China  occurred  every 
fifty  years,  that  one  was  now  due,  that  the 
present  outbreak  was  merely  a recurring 
row,’^  and  that  the  men  concerned  in  it,  and 
Sun  Yat  Sen  in  particular,  were  of  no  im- 
portance in  the  eyes  of  the  Chinese  Govern- 
ment, the  foreign  Legations,  the  Customs 
officials,  and  the  bankers,  etc.,  in  China.  The 
true  reason  of  this  belief  was  that  the  rep- 
resentatives of  the  Press  consulted  men 
whose  experience  of  China  was  confined  to 
Government  ways  and  doings  or  to  the  as- 
sertions of  foreigners  in  China  in  touch  with 
officials.  Another  almost  universally  stated 
and  credited  opinion  was  that  the  Chinese, 
saturated  with  worship  of  a throne  and  re- 
spect for  its  edicts,  could  never  become  a 
republic.  Moreover,  that  they  were  not 
ready  for  a republic,  being  wholly  uneducated 
in  the  ways  of  government.  A titular  sov- 
ereign, a haloed  ’’  being  hidden  away  from 
them  and  rendered  powerless  to  rule,  was 
what  the  Chinese  wanted  in  the  opinion  of 

Old  China  hands.’’  There  has  been  a being 
of  the  kind  in  China  for  many  a day.  The 
Emperor  has  been  a myth,  a heavenly 
body  ” that  could  not  be  looked  upon,  far 


118 


SUN  YAT  SEN 


less  approached.  When  drawing  up  the  con- 
stitution of  the  College  of  Medicine  in  Hong 
Kong,  and  being  at  the  time  quite  new  to 
China  and  the  ways  of  the  people,  I sug- 
gested that  Queen  Victoria  and  the  Emperor 
of  China  should  be  asked  to  be  patrons.  My 
suggestion  was  received  with  laughter  by  my 
more  experienced  colleagues,  and  I was  in- 
formed that  ‘‘  I might  get  Queen  Victoria, 
but  the  Emperor  of  China  was  a god,  and 
you  would  have  to  write  to  heaven  to  get 
the  Emperor  nominated.’^  In  the  earlier 
days  my  wife  and  myself  used  to  deprecate 
a republic  when  discussing  the  matter  with 
Sun.  Living  as  we  do  under  the  sway  of  a 
“ crowned  democracy,’’  we  could  imagine  no 
more  perfect  form  of  government,  and  tried 
to  persuade  Sun  to  the  same. 

Many  a long  discussion  was  held  trying 
to  turn  Sun  from  his  purpose,  but  gradually, 
as  years  went  on,  we  were  persuaded  that 
a monarchy  in  China  was  an  impossibility. 
Even  a titular  monarch  on  the  throne  meant, 
in  accordance  with  Chinese  custom,  a dow- 
ager empress  or  a mother-in-law  at  the  head 
of  the  house,  with  attendant  eunuchs  and  all 
the  environment  of  princes  of  the  royal  clan. 
A suggestion  that  the  old  Ming  dynasty 
might  be  revived  Sun  was  able  to  cope  with. 
He  had  also  thought  of  that;  he  had  per- 


THE  STEUGGLE 


119 


sonally  investigated  the  conditions  of  the  de- 
scendants of  the  last  Ming  Emperor  and 
found  them  qniet  work-a-day  people,  earning 
their  daily  bread  and  totally  unfit,  as  they 
were  unwilling,  to  take  up  the  duties  of  a 
throne  or  ruling  a country.  Mending  ” 
the  Manchu  being  impossible,  reinstating  the 
Mings  being  out  of  the  question,  ending  ” 
the  reign  of  the  Manchu  completely  was  the 
only  alternative.  Such  being  the  case,  the 
one  possible  form  of  government  left  was  a 
republic,  and,  contrary  to  the  opinion  of  both 
Chinese  and  Europeans  to  commence  with. 
Sun  has  convinced  his  countrymen  to  his 
view. 

Not  only  so,  but  the  few  Europeans  who 
have  come  into  intimate  contact  with  Sun, 
and  listened  to  his  carefully  thought  out 
judgments,  to  his  well-balanced  arguments, 
and  to  his  at  all  times  unprejudiced,  logical, 
and  unbiased  statements,  were ‘driven  to  the 
same  conclusion.  The  Europeans  who  have 
not  had  the  opportunity  of  hearing  the  rea- 
soned conclusions  of  China’s  great  leader 
still  continued  to  hanker  after  an  emperor 
of  a sort,  a muzzled  monarch  who  would  have 
neither  part  nor  power  in  the  government  of 
the  country.  These  conclusions  are  scarcely 
logical.  If  the  Chinese  are  capable  of  con- 
ducting the  country’s  affairs  without  the 


120 


SUN  YAT  SEN 


Manchu  even  figuring  in  the  play,  why  main- 
tain a sovereign  and  his  court,  with  the  in- 
evitable interference  of  the  women  and  the 
eunuchs  of  the  royal  household?  It  is  said 
these  would  be  done  away  with.  Well,  the 
eunuchs  might  be  abolished,  the  women  can- 
not be,  and  the  unfortunate  interference  of 
the  women  around  the  monarch  is  as  potent 
to-day  as  it  ever  has  been  in  Chinese  history. 
Still  is  the  argument  heard  that  a monarch 
of  a sort  is  a necessity,  and  that  the  Chinese 
are  neither  ready  nor  fitted  for  a republican 
form  of  government.  Let  us  see.  China  has 
existed  for  centuries  as  a federation  of 
states;  a federal  form  of  government  has 
been  in  existence  for  at  least  five  hundred 
5^ears.  Of  the  eighteen  provinces  of  the  Mid- 
dle Kingdom  all  have  been  ‘‘  self-contained  ; 
provincial  autonomy  well-nigh  complete  has 
prevailed  to  a degree  unknown  in  any  re- 
public in  existence,  and  paralleled  perhaps 
only  in  the  relations  of  the  overseas  domin- 
ions in  the  British  Empire  to  the  Mother 
Country.  Even  to  the  extent  of  defending 
the  country  from  foreign  foes  do  the  prov- 
inces of  China  maintain  their  independence. 
Not  once,  but  many  times,  have  certain 
provinces  in  the  south  and  west  refused  help 
to  the  Peking  Government. 

The  Chinese  cannot,  or  could  not  in  the 


THE  STRUGGLE 


121 


past,  understand  the  meaning  of  their  coun- 
try being  in  danger;  an  inroad  of  foreign 
troops  carried  with  it  no  meaning  of  inter- 
national complications,  for  to  the  Chinese 
there  were  no  other  nations;  the  world  out- 
side themselves  consisted  of  subject  States 
and  outer  barbarians,’’  and  if  occasionally 
these  negligible  communities  gave  trouble,  it 
lay  with  the  authorities  in  the  province  or 
provinces  where  the  trouble  existed  to  put 
it  down.  How  could  people  far  distant  from 
the  seat  of  disturbance  be  expected  to  take 
an  active  part  or  interest  in  matters  which 
did  not  concern  them?  The  Manchus  at- 
tempted to  maintain  the  masses  of  China  in 
ignorance  of  foreigners  and  their  ways,  and 
succeeded  in  a marvellous  manner  in  doing 
so.  They  dreaded  the  consequences  of  the 
people  becoming  enlightened,  believing  that 
only  by  keeping  them  in  ignorance  would 
their  existence  as  rulers  be  tolerated.  The 
adoption  of  belief  in  reform  methods  of  gov- 
ernment cost  the  last  Emperor  his  life,  and 
the  seal  upon  ancient  methods  of  preserving 
ignorance  was  once  more  set. 

As  an  example  of  how  ignorant  the  masses 
of  China  were  kept  by  the  Manchus,  a con- 
crete example  will  suffice.  During  the  late 
war  with  Japan  the  people  in  the  south  of 
China  knew  nothing  of  the  trouble.  Chi- 


122 


SUN  YAT  SEN 


nese  living  in  Kowloon — the  British  territory 
on  the  mainland  of  China  which  forms  part 
and  parcel  of  the  colony  of  Hong  Kong — 
during  the  height  of  the  memorable  struggle, 
not  only  never  heard  of  the  war  but  they 
had  never  even  heard  of  the  Japanese  people. 
The  Government  officials  in  the  southern 
provinces  hesitated  to  send  soldiers  or  ships 
to  the  north  to  the  aid  of  their  confreres,  on 
the  plea  that  they  (the  northerners)  had  got 
into  the  trouble  and  they  must  get  out  of  it 
as  best  they  could.  There  is  nothing  extraor- 
dinary in  this  declaration  to  those  who  know 
how  independent  these  provinces  are.  The 
relationship  of  the  Chinese  provinces  to  each 
other  and  to  the  Throne  is  paralleled  only 
within  the  British  Empire.  Neither  Canada 
nor  Australia  is  compelled  to  take  part  in  a 
war  in  which  Great  Britain  is  involved. 
During  the  South  African  War  Cape  Colony 
remained  neutral  ’’  whilst  the  Mother 
Country  was  preventing  the  colony  being 
overrun  by  the  Boers.  Independence 
is  the  keynote  of  the  overseas  dominions  of 
Britain  to  as  marked  an  extent  as  is  that  of 
the  provinces  of  China  to  the  central 
authority. 

The  provinces  of  the  Middle  Kingdom  are 
merely  a federation  of  states;  Home 
Kule  ’’  has  been  their  portion;  their  partici- 


THE  STRUGGLE 


123 


pation  in  any  national  danger  was  optional 
to  a degree.  The  provinces  have  been  ac- 
customed to  govern  themselves,  and  there 
need  not  be,  and  there  will  not  be,  now  that  a 
republican  form  of  government  has  sup- 
planted a monarchical,  any  departure  from 
the  old  custom  ” which  has  prevailed  in 
China  for  centuries. 

The  many  letters  which  have  within  the 
last  few  months  appeared  in  the  Press  from 

authentic  ” and  ‘‘  authoritative  ’’  sources 
are  amusing  reading  in  the  light  of  to-day. 
These  letters  are  still  further  evidence,  if 
such  were  needed,  of  the  “ cult  ’’  w^hich  pre- 
vailed in  Peking. 

In  the  Strand  Magazine,  under  the  head- 
ing of  My  Reminiscences,  by  Sun  Yat 
Sen,’’  it  is  mentioned  that  Yuan-Shih-Kai 
approached  Sun  some  considerable  time  ago, 
and  sent  a messenger  to  interview  him,  and 
to  convey  Yuan’s  appreciation  of  what  he 
was  doing,  and  offering  to  help  him  in  his 
campaign.  My  wife  and  myself  knew  of  this 
proceeding  from  Dr.  Sun  personally,  shortly 
after  its  occurrence,  but  kept  the  matter  a 
close  secret,  believing  that  it  would  do  in- 
finite harm  were  the  circumstance  published 
abroad.  When  Yuan  was  sent  for  by  the 
Manchu  Government  to  get  them  out  of  their 


124 


SUN  YAT  SEX 


troubles,  had  the  fact  of  his  relations  with 
Sun  been  told  at  the  time,  Yuan  would  have 
been  discredited  as  hunting  with  both  the 
hare  and  the  hounds,  and  his  influence  would 
have  been  warped,  or  altogether  annihilated. 
It  w^as  not  intended  to  mention  the  matter  in 
this  volume  at  all,  considering  it  a subject 
which,  with  several  others  told  us  by  Sun, 
would  do  harm  to  the  cause  ’’  if  disclosed, 
but  since  this  secret  ’’  is  published  for  all 
to  read  in  the  magazine  referred  to,  there  is 
no  necessity  to  keep  silence  in  the  matter  any 
longer. 

For  the  immediate  future  of  China  the 
message  sent  by  Yuan  to  Sun  augurs  well. 
Yuan  was  evidently  not  hide-bound  in  his 
devotion  to  the  Manchus.  He  had  at  least 
a leaning  towards  reform,  and  he  must  have 
a regard  for  Sun  and  his  principles,  other- 
wise he  would  not  have  proffered  help.  Sun 
in  his  turn  has  a respect  for  Yuan,  and  has 
often  spoken  of  his  capability  and  his  great 
grasp  of  affairs.  With  the  two  great  men 
in  China  at  the  present  moment  therefore 
thinking  alike,  there  is  hope  for  a speedy 
coalition  and  for  unanimity  in  i3ur[30se.  It 
is  well  that  Yuan’s  leanings  towards  the  re- 
form movement  were  not  known  before ; now 
the  publication  of  the  fact  can  only  do  good. 
Yuan-Shih-Kai  has  behaved  wisely  and  well. 


THE  STRUGHLE  125 

but  in  a way  which  the  authorities  do  not, 
or  at  any  rate  did  not,  know  of. 

Had  the  Manchu  Government  and  foreign 
representatives  been  aware  of  the  fact 
earlier,  their  attitude  would  not  have  been  so 
cordial,  and  Yuan’s  name  might  not  have 
been  lauded  as  it  has  been.  Deserving  of  all 
praise  Yuan  certainly  is;  but  not  quite  in 
the  way  his  foreign  advocates  thought  or  de- 
sired. The  power  and  influence  Yuan  pos- 
sesses has  been  dinned  into  my  ears  for 
many  a day — “ Yuan  is  the  great  power  in 
China,  not  Sun  Yat  Sen,”  and  that  trou- 
blesome friend  of  yours  is  only  an  agitator 
that  Yuan  will  soon  settle,”  and  similar  re- 
marks by  wiseacres  who  knew  all  about 
China.”  I have  been  compelled  to  hear  this, 
knowing  all  the  time  that  Yuan  had  ap- 
proached Sun.  I had  to  be  content  to  hear 
my  friend  traduced  as  a man  of  no  conse- 
quence, and  as  a mere  fly  to  be  lightly 
brushed  aside.  Yuan  was  the  man,  but  not 
in  the  way  these  authorities  ” on  things 
Chinese  ” believed.  I knew  from  Sun  that 
Yuan  was  sympathetic,”  and  that  Sun 
would  stand  aside  and  invite  Yuan  to  become 
the  President  of  China.  A greater  man  than 
Yuan  was  my  informant,  a man  without 
thought  of  self,  seeking  no  honor  but  his 
country’s,  regardless  of  place  or  power;  yet 


126 


SUX  YAT  SEX 


powerful  withal,  and  with  a determination 
that  nothing  could  move  from  the  purpose 
he  had  at  heart : a patriot  in  the  highest  and 
truest  sense  of  the  word;  a meek  man  in  all 
but  his  country’s  welfare. 

After  Sun’s  release  from  the  Legation  in 
London,  1896,  a number  of  his  friends  in 
Canton  and  Hong  Kong  sent  me  a large  tab- 
let with  Chinese  characters  inscribed  upon  it. 
Several  Chinese  scholars  attempted  to  in- 
terpret the  characters,  but  it  was  not  until 
Sir  James  Stewart  Lockhart  saw  the  tablet 
that  the  full  meaning  was  divulged,  when  it 
was  found  to  be  a line  from  the  Sermon  on 
the  Mount,  ‘‘  Blessed  are  the  merciful.” 
Were  I to  return  the  compliment  and  present 
a tablet  to  Sun,  I would  inscribe  upon  it  a 
verse  preceding  the  one  referred  to  as  in- 
terpreting Sun’s  character:  Blessed  are 

the  meek:  for  they  shall  inherit  the  earth.” 
If  Sun’s  principles  and  men  of  his  disposi- 
tion and  character  are  to  prevail  in  China, 
his  country  shall  certainly  inherit  the  earth, 
and  the  ‘ ^ yellow  peril  ’ ’ will  become  a reality. 


VI 


A GRACEFUL  TRIBUTE  TO  THE  MINGS 
—THE  REFORM  MOVEMENT 

A CEREMONY  of  entrancing  interest  oc- 
curred on  February  15,  1912,  when 
Sun  Yat  Sen,  at  the  time  Provisional 
President  of  the  United  Republic  of  China, 
proceeded  to  the  sepulchre  of  Chu  Yuan- 
Chang,  the  founder  of  the  Ming  (Chinese)  dy- 
nasty, and  informed  the  spirit  of  the  Em- 
peror that  the  alien  Manchu  Tartar  had  been 
dethroned.  The  tomb  or  mausoleum  where 
the  first  of  the  Ming  Emperors  is  buried  lies 
just  outside  Nanking,  at  that  time  the  capital 
of  the  Empire. 

An  imposing  procession  visited  the  tomb, 
consisting  of  President  Sun  Yat  Sen,  the 
members  of  his  cabinet,  the  civic  and  military 
officials,  and  a large  escort  of  soldiers. 

The  ceremony  is  interesting  in  many  ways. 
The  fact  that  the  Manchus — the  Eastern  Tar- 
tars as  they  were  formerly  styled — were 
alien  usurpers  was  prominently  demon- 
strated. That  Sun  Yat  Sen  was  the  spokes- 

127 


128 


SUX  YAT  SEX 


man  on  the  occasion  is  a circumstance 
amounting  to  a romance,  seeing  that  for  fif- 
teen years  he  has  passed  through  toil  and 
strife,  through  dangers  innumerable  and  un- 
told hardships,  to  attain  the  great  object  of 
his  life,  namely,  the  expulsion  of  the 
Manchus. 

But  most  interesting  of  all  points  in  con- 
nection with  the  dignified  and  solemn  cere- 
mony is  the  tone  and  exquisitely  beautiful 
language  in  which  the  prayer  and  announce- 
ment was  framed.  The  prayer  is  given  in 
the  London  Times  of  April  3,  1912,  and  al- 
though the  language  loses  something  by  the 
fact  that  it  is  a translation  into  English,  it 
may  be  safely  said  the  dignity  and  grandeur 
of  this  prayer  has  seldom  been  surpassed  in 
either  ancient  or  modern  literature.  In  con- 
fonnity  with  the  Confucian  principle  of  serv- 
ing the  dead  as  if  they  were  present  in  the 
flesh,  the  prayer,  conveying  information  of 
the  important  events  in  the  history  of  a dy- 
nasty, is  always  communicated  to  the  spirit 
tablet  of  the  founder.  The  prayer  was  as 
follows : — 

‘‘  Of  old  the  Sung  dynasty  became  effete, 
and  the  Liao  Tartars  and  Yuen  dynasty 
Mongols  seized  the  occasion  to  throw  this 
domain  of  China  into  confusion,  to  the  fierce 
indignation  of  gods  and  men.  It  was  then 


WORSHIPPING  AT  THE  ANCESTOR’S  GRAVE 


TRIBUTE  TO  THE  MINGS  129 


that  Your  Majesty,  our  founder,  arose  in 
your  wrath  from  obscurity,  and  destroyed 
those  monsters  of  iniquity,  so  that  the  ancient 
glory  was  won  again.  In  twelve  years  you 
consolidated  the  Imperial  sway,  and  the  do- 
minions of  the  Great  Yii  were  purged  of  pol- 
lution and  cleansed  from  the  noisome  Tartar. 
Often  in  history  has  our  noble  Chinese  race 
been  enslaved  by  petty  frontier  barbarians 
from  the  north.  Never  have  such  glorious 
triumphs  been  won  over  them  as  Your 
Majesty  achieved.  But  your  descendants 
were  degenerate  and  failed  to  carry  on  your 
glorious  heritage;  they  entrusted  the  reins 
of  government  to  bad  men,  and  pursued  a 
short-sighted  policy.  In  this  way  they  en- 
couraged the  ambitions  of  the  Eastern  Tar- 
tar savages,  and  fostered  the  growth  of  their 
power.  They  were  thus  able  to  take  advan- 
tage of  the  presence  of  rebels  to  invade  and 
possess  themselves  of  your  sacred  capital. 
From  a bad  eminence  of  glory  basely  won, 
they  lorded  it  over  this  most  holy  soil,  and 
our  beloved  China  ^s  rivers  and  hills  were 
defiled  by  their  corrupting  touch,  while  the 
people  fell  victims  to  the  headsman’s  axe  or 
the  avenging  sword.  Although  worthy 
patriots  and  faithful  subjects  of  your  dy- 
nasty crossed  the  mountain  ranges  into  Can- 
ton and  the  far  south,  in  the  hope  of  re- 


130 


SUN  YAT  SEN 


deeming  the  glorious  Ming  tradition  from 
utter  ruin,  and  of  prolonging  a thread  of  the 
old  dynasty’s  life,  although  men  gladly  per- 
ished one  after  the  other  in  the  forlorn  at- 
tempt, Heaven’s  wrath  remained  unappeased, 
and  mortal  designs  failed  to  achieve  success. 
A brief  and  melancholy  page  was  added  to 
the  history  of  your  dynasty,  and  that  was  all. 

‘‘  As  time  went  on,  the  law  became  ever 
harsher,  and  the  meshes  of  its  inexorable 
net  grew  closer.  Alas  for  our  Chinese  peo- 
ple, who  crouched  in  comers  and  listened 
with  startled  ears,  deprived  of  power  of 
utterance,  and  with  tongues  glued  to  their 
mouths,  for  their  lives  were  past  saving. 
Those  others  usurped  titles  to  fictitious 
clemency  and  justice,  while  prostituting  the 
sacred  doctrines  of  the  sages:  whom  they 
affected  to  honor.  They  stifled  public  opin- 
ion in  the  Empire  in  order  to  force  acquies- 
cence in  their  tyranny.  The  Manchu  des- 
potism became  so  thorough  and  so  embrac- 
ing that  they  were  enabled  to  prolong  their 
d}masty’s  existence  by  cunning  wiles.  But 
even  so,  rebellions  occurred.  In  Yung 
Cheng’s  reign  the  Hunanese  Chang  Hsi  and 
Tseng  Ching  preached  sedition  against  the 
dynasty  in  their  native  pro\unce,  while  in 
Chia  Ching ’s  reign  the  Palace  conspiracy  of 
Lin  Ching  dismayed  that  monarch  in  his 


TRIBUTE  TO  THE  MINGS  131 


capital.  These  events  were  followed  by  re- 
bellions in  Sze-chuan  and  Shensi : under  Tao- 
Kuang  and  his  successor  the  Taipings  started 
their  campaign  from  a remote  Kwangsi  vil- 
lage. Although  these  worthy  causes  were 
destined  to  ultimate  defeat,  the  gradual 
trend  of  the  national  will  became  manifest. 
At  last  our  own  era  dawned,  the  sun  of  free- 
dom had  risen,  and  a sense  of  the  rights  of 
the  race  animated  men’s  minds.  In  addition 
the  Manchu  bandits  could  not  even  protect 
themselves.  Powerful  foes  encroached  upon 
the  territory  of  China,  and  the  dynasty 
parted  with  our  sacred  soil  to  enrich  neigh- 
boring nations.  The  Chinese  race  of  to-day 
may  be  degenerate,  but  it  is  descended  from 
mighty  men  of  old.  How  should  it  endure 
that  the  spirits  of  the  great  dead  should  be 
insulted  by  the  everlasting  visitation  of  this 
scourge? 

Then  did  patriots  arise  like  a whirl- 
wind or  like  a cloud  which  is  suddenly  mani- 
fested in  the  firmament.  They  began  with 
the  Canton  insurrection;  then  Peking  was 
alarmed  by  Wu  Yiieh’s  bomb  (in  1905).  A 
year  later  Hsu  Hsilin  fired  his  bullet  into  the 
vitals  of  the  Manchu  robber  chief,  En  Ming, 
Governor  of  Anhui.  Hsiung  Cheng-chi 
raised  the  standard  of  liberty  on  the  Yang- 
tse’s  banks;  rising  followed  rising  all  over 


132 


SUN  YAT  SEN 


the  Empire,  until  the  secret  plot  against  the 
Eegent  was  discovered,  and  the  abortive  in- 
surrection in  Canton  startled  the  capital. 
One  failure  followed  another,  but  other  brave 
men  took  the  place  of  the  heroes  who  died, 
and  the  Empire  was  born  again  to  life.  The 
bandit  Manchu  Court  was  shaken  with  pallid 
terror,  until  the  cicada  shook  off  its  shell  in 
a glorious  regeneration,  and  the  present 
crowning  triumph  was  achieved.  The 
patriotic  crusade  started  in  Wuchang;  the 
four  corners  of  the  EmjDire  responded  to  the 
call.  Coast  regions  nobly  followed  in  their 
wake,  and  the  Yang-tse  was  won  back  by  our 
armies.  The  region  south  of  the  Yellow 
Eiver  was  lost  to  the  Manchus,  and  the  north 
manifested  its  sympathy  with  our  cause. 
An  earthquake  shook  the  barbarian  Court  of 
Peking,  and  it  was  smitten  with  a paralysis. 
To-day  it  has  at  last  restored  the  Govern- 
ment to  the  Chinese  people,  and  the  five  races 
of  China  may  dwell  together  in  peace  and 
mutual  trust.  Let  us  joyfully  give  thanks. 
How  could  we  have  attained  this  measure  of 
victory  had  not  Your  Majesty’s  soul  in 
heaven  bestowed  upon  us  your  protecting  in- 
fluence? 

‘‘  I have  heard  say  that  triumphs  of  Tartar 
savages  over  our  China  were  destined  never 
to  last  longer  than  a hundred  years.  But 


TEIBUTE  TO  THE  MINGS  133 


the  reign  of  these  Manchus  endured  unto 
double,  aye,  unto  treble,  that  period.  Yet 
Providence  knows  the  appointed  hour,  and 
the  moment  comes  at  last.  We  are  initiating 
the  example  to  Eastern  Asia  of  a Kepublican 
form  of  government;  success  comes  early  or 
late  to  those  who  strive,  but  the  good  are 
surely  rewarded  in  the  end.  Why  then 
should  we  repine  to-day  that  victory  has 
tarried  long? 

“ I have  heard  that  in  the  past  many 
would-be  deliverers  of  their  country  have 
ascended  this  lofty  mound  wherein  is  your 
sepulchre.  It  has  served  to  them  as  a holy 
inspiration.  As  they  looked  down  upon  the 
surrounding  rivers  and  upward  to  the  hills, 
under  an  alien  sway,  they  wept  in  the  bitter- 
ness of  their  hearts,  but  to-day  their  sorrow 
is  turned  into  joy.  The  spiritual  influences 
of  your  grave  at  Nanking  have  come  once 
more  into  their  own.  The  dragon  crouches 
in  majesty  as  of  old,  and  the  tiger  surveys 
his  domain  and  his  ancient  capital.  Every- 
where a beautiful  repose  doth  reign.  Your 
legions  line  the  approaches  to  the  sepulchre : 
a noble  host  stands  expectant.  Your  people 
have  come  here  to-day  to  inform  Your 
Majesty  of  the  final  victory.  May  this  lofty 
shrine  wherein  you  rest  gain  fresh  lustre 
from  to-day’s  event  and  may  your  example 


134 


SUN  YAT  SEN 


inspire  your  descendants  in  the  times  which 
are  to  come.  Spirit ! Accept  this  offer- 
ing! 

Perhaps  nothing  will  strike  the  historian, 
who  undertakes  to  write  an  account  of  the 
Eeform  -Movement  in  China  of  1911-12,  more 
forcibly  than  the  extraordinary  care  and  the 
scientific  acumen  with  which  the  foundations 
of  the  Republic  were  laid.  Ditferent  from 
every  other  revolution  we  know  of,  that 
which  we  have  just  seen  completed  in  China 
was  not  the  result  of  an  imbroglio,  a mere 
whirlwind  of  passion,  nor  yet  the  outcome 
of  a mob  rising;  even  the  fighting  has  been 
but  a small  part  of  the  revolutionary  move- 
ment— a side-issue  which  in  every  way  pos- 
sible it  was  hoped  and  intended  to  avoid. 
For  fifteen  years  Sun  had  been  organizing 
the  great  movement,  and  striving  to  place  it 
upon  a firm  basis.  How  did  he  do  it?  By 
preparing  men  for  the  government  of  the 
country  under  the  new  regime.  Ten  years 
ago  the  Reform  Party  sent  the  most  promis- 
ing Chinese  students  in  the  country  to  be 
educated  abroad,  so  that  they  might  be  able 
to  fill  important  positions  in  the  cabinet  and 
in  the  various  departments  of  government. 
In  Europe  and  America  several  hundreds  of 
young  Chinese  were  engaged  in  studies  of 
all  kinds,  with  a view  to  becoming  legislators 


THE  REFOEM  MOVEMENT  135 


£nd  councillors.  The  men  were  being  trained 
\\hilst  yet  the  Manchus  ruled  and  their  hold 
or  the  throne  seemed  secure. 

A.  preparation  for  occupying  positions 
wh'ch  did  not,  and  in  the  minds  of  many 
woiild  never,  exist,  would  strike  most  men 
as  the  product  of  a fantastic  brain,  and  as 
the  mere  dreams  of  an  idealist.  First  create 
the  positions  and  then  find  the  men  is  the 
usual  method  adopted  in  undertakings  of  the 
kind.  When  the  revolution  has  been  success- 
ful it  will  be  surely  time  enough  then  to  think 
of  men  to  fill  the  vacant  posts,  is  the  short- 
sighted plan  of  the  empiricist.  Not  so  in 
Sun’s  idea.  He  took  advantage  of  the  men 
sent  abroad  by  the  late  Emperor,  whilst  yet 
he  held  the  reins  of  government,  to  be  trained 
in  modern  methods  of  education  and  govern- 
ment, and  in  addition  to  these  the  Reform 
Party  supplemented  the  number  by  nominees 
of  their  own.  During  his  visits  to  Europe 
and  America  Sun  saw  these  men,  conferred 
with  them,  and  took  them  into  his  counsels. 
That  he  was  held  in  their  high  esteem  was  evi- 
dent from  the  fact  that  whilst  in  Brussels  (or 
some  other  European  capital)  many  of  the 
students  in  the  different  parts  of  Europe 
came  to  meet  him  on  the  several  occasions  of 
his  visits.  The  proof  that  they  actually  did 
meet  Sun  is  testified  by  the  evidence  of 


136 


SUN  YAT  SEN 


photographs  in  my  possession,  in  which,  j 

amongst  a group  of  Chinese  students.  Sun  ; 

is  given  the  place  of  honor  in  the  centre,  aid  f 

as  a rule  is  seated  whilst  the  others  stand  ' 

around  him.  These  men  represent  modern  » 

China  to-day;  they  were  chosen  for  trailing 
abroad  from  amongst  the  best  men  to  be 
found,  and  some  of  them  are  members  of  the  i 

oldest  and  best  families.  Yuan-ShiYKai,  ■ 

when  he  made  up  his  cabinet,  said  that  it  \ 

vras  composed  of  the  best  men  China  pos-  i 

sessed,  and  it  is  a fact  that  the  highest  posi-  ^ 

tions  were  given  by  Yuan  to  Sun’s  foreign-  i 

educated  proteges.  I 

It  wdll  be  remembered  also  that  many  of  j 

these  men  nominated  by  Yuan  to  serve  in  his  ; 

cabinet  refused  to  take  up  office  under  him, 
and  joined  Sun’s  cabinet  in  Nanking,  so  that, 
according  even  to  Yuan’s  testimony,  China’s 
ablest  men  were  in  Sun’s  cabinet.  The  most 
recent  published  list  of  ministers  is  dated 
Peking,  March  30,  1912,  and  reads  as 
follows : — 

Premier  and  Minister  of  Communications,  ad 
interim:  Tangshaoyi. 

Minister  for  Foreigji  Affairs:  Lu-Cheng-Hsian, 
hitherto  Chinese  Minister  in  St.  Petersburg. 

Minister  of  Interior:  Chao-Ping-Chun,  who  is 
reappointed. 

Minister  of  Finance:  Hsuing-Hsi-Ling,  a finan- 


THE  EEFORM  MOVEMENT  137 


cier  of  moderate  ability  who  has  espoused  the 
revolutionary  cause. 

Minister  of  War:  General  Tuan-Chi-Jui,  for- 
merly Viceroy  of  Hukuang. 

Minister  of  Marine:  Liu-Kuan-Hsung  (Progres- 
sive.) 

Minister  of  Education:  Tsai-Yuan-Pei,  leader  of 
the  Southern  delegates,  a Progressive  educationist. 
Minister  of  Justice:  Wang-Tsung-Hui. 

Minister  of  Agriculture:  Sun-Khia-Jen. 

(The  two  last  named  were  comparatively  un- 
known before  the  outbreak  of  the  revolution.) 

Minister  of  Commerce:  Chen-Chi-Mei,  a promi- 
nent Shanghai  revolutionary. 

HIN-YUN  GUIDE  US. 

The  Chinese  Song  in  Time  op  Revolution. 

Freedom,  one  of  the  greatest  blessings  of  Heaven. 
United  to  Peace  thou  wilt  work  on  this  earth 
Ten  thousand  wonderful  new  things. 

Grave  as  a spirit,  great  as  a giant 
Rising  to  the  very  skies, 

With  the  clouds  for  a chariot  and  the  wind  for  a 
steed. 

Come,  come  to  reign  over  the  earth. 

For  the  sake  of  the  black  hell  of  our  slavery, 
Come,  enlighten  us  with  a ray  of  thy  sun. 

White  Europe.  Thou  art  indeed 
The  spoiled  daughter  of  Heaven. 


138 


SUN  YAT  SEN 


Bread,  wine — thou  hast  everj'thing  in  abundance. 
For  me,  I love  Liberty  as  a bride. 

Through  the  day  in  my  thoughts,  through  the 
night  in  my  dreams 
I survey  the  woes  of  my  fatherland. 

But  the  inconstant  nature  of  Liberty 
Prevents  me  from  attaining  her. 

Alas,  my  brethren  are  all  slaves. 

The  wind  is  so  sweet,  the  dew  is  so  bright. 

The  flowers  are  so  fragrant, 

Men  are  becoming  all  kings — 

And  yet  can  we  forget  what  the  people  are 
suffering  ? 

At  Peking  we  must  bow  our  head 
Before  the  wolf  of  an  Emperor. 

Alas,  Freedom  is  dead. 

Asia  the  Great  is  nothing  else 
But  an  immense  desert. 

In  this  centurj^  we  are  working 
To  open  a new  age. 

In  this  century,  with  one  voice,  all  virile  men 
Are  calling  for  a new  making  of  heaven  and 
earth. 

May  the  soul  of  the  people  rise  to  the  peak  of 
Kwang-tung. 

"Washington  and  Napoleon,  you  two  sons  of 
Libertj^ 

May  you  become  incarnated  in  the  people. 
Hin-yun,  our  ancestor,  guide  us. 

Spirit  of  Freedom,  come  and  protect  us. 


VII 


THE  FLAG  OF  THE  NEW  EEPUBLIC 

The  five  stripes  on  the  Republican  flag 
of  China  bring  home  to  ns  the  fact 
that  the  Chinese  Empire  is  a congeries 
of  peoples  of  Mongoloid  type.  The  Chinese 
have  for  so  long  a period  been  the  predomi- 
nant section  of  the  Mongolian  race  that  the 
terms  Mongol  and  Chinese  have  come  to  be 
regarded  as  well-nigh  synonymous.  So  much 
so  has  this  been  the  case  that  the  Mongolian 
invasion  of  Western  Asia  and  Eastern 
Europe  is  often  termed  a Chinese  invasion, 
whereas  it  was  at  least  directed  by  the  Mon- 
golians or  Western  Tartars,  as  the  Chinese 
describe  them.  The  ambition  of  all  princes 
and  khans  of  the  Mongolian  race  was  to  gain 
possession  of  the  throne  of  the  Middle  King- 
dom. This  was  accomplished  first  by  the 
Mongolian  or  Western  Tartars  and  subse- 
quently by  the  Manchurian  or  Eastern  Tar- 
tars. The  conquerors,  however,  became  in- 
corporated with  the  Middle  Kingdom,  and 
their  countrymen  were  spoken  of  subse- 

139 


140 


SUN  YAT  SEN 


quently  as  Cliinese.  No  other  empire  quite 
corresponds  to  that  of  China,  the  nearest 
approach  to  it  being  the  British,  but  in  China 
the  several  dominions  are  coterminous, 
whereas  the  British  Empire  is  widely  flung 
over  seas. 

The  five  component  factors  in  the  flag  rep- 
resent (1)  The  Chinese  of  the  eighteen  home 
provinces,  constituting  the  Middle  Kingdom 
— or  China  proper.  (2)  The  Manchurian 
people,  styled  the  Eastern  Tartars  by  the 
Chinese,  who  occupy  the  district  of  Man- 
churia, their  ancient  kingdom.  (3)  The 
Mongolians,  the  Westeni  Tartars,  who  have 
from  time  to  time  proved  so  important  an 
element  in  the  destinies  of  China.  (4)  The 
Thibetans,  a remote  people  upon  whom  the 
hold  of  China  has  been  lax  at  times  and  again 
reasserted.  (5)  The  Mahommedans  who,  al- 
though possessing  no  nationality,  are  a pow- 
erful religious  sect  within  the  widespread 
domains.  To  understand  aright  the  part 
played  by  each  of  the  groups  represented 
within  the  flag  would  involve  an  intimate 
knowledge  of  Chinese  history,  which  would 
be  beyond  the  purpose  of  this  sketch.  How- 
ever, seeing  that  China  will  now  occupy  a 
more  prominent  place  in  modem  history,  a 
few  notes  are  appended  on  the  subject. 

1.  The  red  or  upper  stripe  in  the  Eepub- 


FLAG  OF  THE  NEW  REPUBLIC  141 


lican  flag  denotes  tlie  Chinese — the  inhabi- 
tants of  the  Middle  Kingdom,  the  predomi- 
nant Mongol  people. 

It  is  impossible  to  ascertain  the  origin  of 
the  Chinese  from  recorded  history.  The  race 
at  present  dwelling  in  the  Middle  Kingdom 
are  believed  to  have  originated  near  the  sup- 
posed cradle  of  the  human  race  in  that  in- 
definite area  associated  with  the  name  of 
Mesopotamia.  A nomad  people,  they  trav- 
elled northeastward,  carrying  with  them 
ideas  of  settled  government,  a knowledge  of 
agriculture,  of  the  production  of  silk,  and  the 
value  and  use  of  the  mulberry-tree.  This 
blackhaired  race,  as  their  neighbors  styled 
them,  found  what  we  now  call  the  Chinese 
Empire  inhabited  by  fiery  dogs  ’’  in  the 
north,  great  bowmen  ’’  in  the  east, 

mounted  warriors  ’’  in  the  west,  and  un- 
governable vermin  ’’  in  the  south.  The  types 
remain  fairly  well  represented  to-day:  the 
fiery  Tartar  to  the  north,  Manchurian  bow- 
men to  the  eastward,  Mongolian  horsemen  to 
the  west,  and  to  the  south  the  clever  inhabi- 
tants of  the  Kwang-tung  (Canton),  Kwangsi, 
and  Fokien  provinces. 

Amongst  the  yellow  race,  the  Chinese,  as 
distinct  from  Mongols,  Tartars,  etc.,  have 
preserved  their  intellectual,  commercial,  and 
political  superiority,  and  are  therefore  en- 


1 


142  SUN  YAT  SEN  , 

titled  to  have  their  nationality  represented  as  ( 

the  premier  power  in  the  federation.  | 

2.  The  second  color  in  the  flag — yellow — 
represents  the  Manchurian  or  Eastern  Tar- 
tars, as  they  were  formerly  styled. 

The  Manchu  dynasty,  which  has  occupied 
the  throne  since  the  year  1643,  deserves  the 
second  place  in  the  Empire  for  more  reasons 
than  one. 

The  inroads  of  the  Eastern  and  Western 
Tartars  (Mongols  and  Manchus)  had  long 
been  a trouble  and  danger  to  the  Chinese. 

The  Great  Wall  of  China  was  built  two  thou- 
sand years  ago  to  keep  them  out.  Extending 
over  hill  and  dale  for  1,500  miles  inland,  from 
the  point  where  it  touches  the  seacoast  at 
Shan-hai-Kwan  on  the  shores  of  the  Gulf  of 
Pechili,  this  stupendous  structure,  the  great- 
est monument  to  labor  ever  accomplished,  J 

may  be  termed  China’s  folly,”  just  as  the 
Yellow  Eiver  is  styled  China’s  sorrow,” 
and  serves  to  show  the  dread  with  which 
these  Tartar  hordes  were  regarded.  It  is  jok- 
ingly said  the  expense  entailed  in  the  build-  i 

ing  of  this  wall  was  such  that  the  Chinese 
never  got  over  it,  but  the  Tartars  did.  When 
the  wall  failed  in  its  purpose  bribes,  conces- 
sions, and  payments  in  cash  were  tried  in-  j 

stead,  but  the  Eastern  Tartars  (Manchus)  j 

reduced  the  northern  portion  of  China  to 


FLAG  OF  THE  NEW  KEPUBLIC  143 


vassalage  and  were  in  a position  to  seize  the 
throne.  This  they  were  prevented  doing  by 
the  advance  of  the  Western  Tartars  (Mon- 
gols) nnder  the  famous  Kublai  Khan,  who 
not  only  drove  out  the  Eastern  Tartars 
(Manchus)  but  seized  the  country  and  styled 
themselves  Emperors  of  China.  Kublai 
Khan,  the  first  of  the  Yuen  dynasty,  favored 
Buddhism,  which  has  never  flourished  in 
China  as  it  did  under  the  Mongol  Tartar  rule. 
Peking,  originally  a Tartar  encampment,  was 
designated  the  capital.  Gradually,  how- 
ever, luxurious  living  developed  effeminacy 
amongst  the  Tartars,  and  so  effete  did  they 
become  that  in  a.d.  1366  the  Chinese  drove 
them  from  the  throne  and  founded  the  Ming 
or  Chinese  dynasty. 

The  Mings,  as  seemed  to  be  the  case  with 
every  succeeding  dynasty  in  China,  gradually 
became  so  effete  that  they  at  last  drove  their 
own  Chinese  countrymen  into  revolt.  The 
leader  of  the  rebellion  was  so  successful  that 
in  1643  he  invested  Peking,  and  rather  than 
submit  to  capture  the  last  of  the  Ming  Em- 
perors committed  suicide.  All  China  seemed 
at  the  feet  of  the  rebel  leader,  the  only  force 
in  existence  loyal  to  the  Mings  being  an 
army  near  to  the  Manchurian  border;  and 
they  were  reduced  to  such  straits  that  they 
invoked  the  aid  of  the  Eastern  Tartars 


SUX  YAT  SEX 


144 

(Manclius),  who  readily  accepted  the  invita- 
tion, and  after  defeating  the  Chinese  rebels, 
the  Manchu  king  entered  Peking  and  seized 
the  throne.  Thus  did  the  Manchus  or  East- 
ern Tartars  enter  China  and  assume  the 
sovereignty,  which  they  held  until  1912,  when 
a republic  was  declared  with  Dr.  Sun  Yat 
Sen  as  the  first  President. 

3.  The  third  or  blue  color  in  the  fiag  rep- 
resents the  TTestem  Tartars  or  Mongolians. 
The  color  is  reminiscent  of  the  “ blue  wolf,’^ 
from  which  the  Mongol  sovereigns  are 
mythically  held  to  be  descended.”  The 
Mongolians  had  long  been  a trouble  to  the 
Middle  Kingdom  folk,  and  their  audacity  cul- 
minated when,  under  the  greatest  soldier  of 
his  day,  Kublai  Khan,  they  invaded  the  coun- 
try and  established  their  rule  at  Peking. 
However,  in  the  short  period  of  eighty  years 
Kublai  Khan’s  descendants  had  to  flee  the 
country  and  seek  refuge  amongst  the  East- 
ern Tartars  (Manchus),  where  they  inter- 
married with  the  ruling  family,  so  that  the 
Manchu  princes  claim  to  have  the  blood  of 
the  Mongolian  Emperors  in  their  veins. 

4.  Thibet  is  represented  in  the  Eepubli- 
can  flag  as  the  fourth  section  of  the  State 
by  the  white  stripe.  The  tenacity  with  which 
China  has  adhered  to  the  possession  of  the 
barren  region  of  Thibet  may  be  ascribed 


FLAG  OF  THE  NEW  REPUBLIC  145 


largely  to  the  fact  that  the  Grand  Lama  re- 
sides at  Lhassa,  the  Rome  and  Mecca  of 
China  in  a religions  sense. 

Buddhism  is  tolerated  in  China,  as  are  all 
other  religions  which  do  not  interfere  with 
the  State  religion  of  Confucianism.  Five 
religions  at  least  have  their  followers  in 
China — Confucianism  (the  State  religion), 
Buddhism,  Taoism,  Mahommedanism,  and 
Christianity.  It  may  be  safely  said  all  Chi- 
nese are  primarily  Confucians.  Buddhism 
has  no  hold  on  the  people;  it  is  confined  al- 
most entirely  to  an  exercise  of  ritual  prac- 
tised in  temples  and  monasteries  by  priests. 
The  language  in  which  the  form  of  worship 
is  conducted  is  that  of  a bastard  Hindustani, 
which  is  not  only  not  understood  by  the 
Chinese,  but  even  the  priests  who  perform 
the  ceremonies  are  for  the  most  part  wholly 
ignorant  of  the  meaning  of  the  words  they 
use.  The  words  are,  in  fact,  mere  sounds 
which  convey  nothing  to  either  priest  or  wor- 
shippers. 

Taoism,  a religion  of  reason,  has  degener- 
ated from  the  ideals  originally  given  it  by 
Tao,  the  founder.  This  philosopher,  who 
taught  about  the  same  time  as  Confucius, 
preached  and  practised  a doctrine  of  inac- 
tivity, a neglect  of  the  world  and  its  concerns, 
loving  neither  fame,  pleasure,  nor  business. 


146 


SUN  YAT  SEN 


At  present,  however,  the  professed  Taoists 
are  for  the  most  part  jugglers  and  necroman- 
cers, who  claim  intimate  relationship  with  de- 
mons. In  some  temples  are  found  effigies  of 
‘‘  the  three  pure  ones,^’  indicating  a Triad 
fraternity — an  imitation,  no  doubt,  of  the 
Buddhist  Triad.  Alchemy,  a search  for  the 
elixir  of  longevity,  magic,  and  a form  of  the 
healing  art  of  the  nature  of  the  Christian 
Science  of  to-day,  are  traits  of  Taoism  which 
now  are  foDowed  only  by  the  most  ignorant 
of  the  people. 

5.  The  Mahommedans  within  the  Chinese 
Empire  are  represented  by  the  black  stripe 
in  the  Eepublican  flag.  In  their  wide 
range  of  conquests  the  Mongols  overcame 
many  Mahommedan  peoples,  and  their  con- 
quests— more  especially  in  Syria  and  in 
Baghdad,  where  Genghis  Khan  overthrew 
the  famous  Caliphate — brought  them  into 
close  contact  with  Mahommedanism.  Many 
diverse  sects,  tribes  and  communities  are 
scattered  throughout  the  Chinese  Empire, 
and  even  within  the  Middle  Kingdom  itself 
Mahommedans  are  found  who  represent  some 
of  the  most  warlike  of  its  peoples. 

Christians  are  not  represented  in  the  Ee- 
publican flag,  although  ever  since  the  first 
century  of  the  Christian  era  Christianity  has 
found  supporters  now  with  the  Mongol  rul- 


FLAG  OF  THE  NEW  EEPUBLIC  147 


ers,  now  with  the  Chinese  Emperors,  and 
many  of  the  people  of  both  countries  have 
followed  its  tenets.  Nestorians  carried  the 
Gospel  to  the  Far  East  and  incorporated 
many  of  its  doctrines  into  several  forms  of 
worship  in  Central  Asia  and  China.  Jesuits 
and  Dominican  priests  found  favor  with  the 
Emperors  in  Peking  for  several  centuries, 
but  when  it  was  found  out  that  the  Pope  and 
not  the  Emperor  was  the  controlling  agent  in 
directing  religious  affairs,  Roman  Catholi- 
cism fell  into  disfavor,  being  renounced  by 
the  governing  class,  whilst  many  of  its  ad- 
herents were  killed.  Of  late  years  many  sec- 
tions of  the  Christian  Church  have  sent  mis- 
sionaries to  China,  and  so  long  as  they  do 
not  interfere  with  the  political  affairs  of  the 
country  as  the  Jesuits  did,  so  long  will  they 
be  allowed  to  preach  the  Gospel  and  to  found 
churches.  It  is  significant  that  the  Taiping 
Rebellion,  although  headed  by  Christians, 
was  put  down  by  the  help  of  Christian  na- 
tions, and  the  first  President  of  the  Republic 
of  China,  Sun  Yat  Sen,  is  a Christian  by 
birth,  education,  and  profession.  The  tol- 
erance of  all  forms  of  religious  belief  in 
China  is  a tribute  to  the  broadmindedness 
of  the  Chinese,  and  that  form  of  Christianity 
will  succeed  which  is  based  upon  the  will  of 
the  people  and  refrains  from  attempting  to 


148 


SUN  YAT  SEN 


interfere  with  the  philosophic  teaching  of 
Confucius,  the  State  religion  (so-called)  of 
China. 

The  Christians,  although  fairly  numerous, 
are  scattered  throughout  the  land,  and  their 
influence  in  the  history  of  China  is  not 
deemed  worthy  of  a stripe  in  the  national 
flag,  a fact  perhaps  all  in  favor  of  future 
success. 

A Chinaman  may  be  a Confucian  and  yet 
a sound  Christian,  Buddhist,  Taoist,  or  Ma- 
hommedan.  Confucianism  is  a philosophy, 
not  a religion,  and  its  acceptance  no  more 
hinders  a Chinese  being  a Christian  than 
does  a belief  in  Darwinism  prohibit  an  En- 
glishman being  a devout  Churchman. 


VIII 


THINGS  CHINESE 

TO  attempt  a history  of  China,  even  to 
give  an  outline  of  an  empire  founded 
and  its  people  civilized  before  Greece 
rose  to  eminence  or  Home  was  heard  of, 
would  be  the  task  of  a lifetime.  All  that  can 
be  attempted  is  to  state  a few,  a very  few, 
of  the  more  prominent  characteristics  of  this 
extraordinary  people,  their  everyday  beliefs 
and  ways. 

Five  thousand  years  ago  at  least  the  civ- 
ilization of  the  Chinese  was  in  an  extraordi- 
nary state  of  advance ; in  fact,  they  were  per- 
haps the  people  of  all  mankind  to  be  earliest 
civilized,  and  their  records  would  seem  to 
stamp  them  at  that  time  as  possibly  but  little 
different  from  the  Chinese  of  to-day.  When 
the  Mongols  entered  Eastern  Europe  they 
found  a barbarous  people,  and  the  legend 
Outer  Barbarian  ” remains  with  them  as 
a term  for  Europeans  to  this  day  in  conse- 
quence. 

There  is  the  account  of  the  people  of  what 
149 


150 


SUN  YAT  SEN 


is  now  the  city  of  Dresden,  when  the  Chinese 
garrison  was  about  to  be  withdrawn,  petition- 
ing the  authorities  to  allow  the  Chinese  gov- 
ernor to  remain,  inasmuch  as  they  had  never 
been  so  well  governed.  This  Chinese  was, 
perhaps,  the  most  highly  civilized  man  and 
possibly  the  first  trained  official  they  had  ever 
seen,  and  they  were  anxious  for  him  to  stay. 
Should  he  leave  they  dreaded  a relapse  to  the 
old  “ barbaric  ’’  regime  of  government  again. 
Marco  Polo,  although  in  the  history  of  China 
the  visits  of  this  traveller  are  but  as  yester- 
day, found  difficulty  not  when  he  had  entered 
China,  but  in  the  countries  he  had  to  traverse 
to  reach  the  Chinese  boundary.  Once  in  Chi- 
nese territory  he  found  magnificent  roads, 
with  inns  and  posting  establishments  at  every 
thirty  miles’  interval  on  his  way  from  the 
Caspian  to  the  capital  of  China.  Order 
reigned  wherever  the  Chinese  ruled  and  set- 
tled government  prevailed.  Their  literature, 
their  agriculture,  their  medical  knowledge, 
and  several  industries  such  as  that  of  silk, 
were  in  an  advanced  state  before  Moses  was 
cradled  or  Solomon  built  his  temple. 

We  may  well  be  asked  why  they  have  not 
continued  to  advance.  The  reply  may  be 
summed  up  as  isolation  due  perhaps  for  the 
most  part  to  natural  forces.  The  relapse  of 
Central  Asia  into  a desert  formed  a barrier 


THE  “FU-TSI-HIAO,” 
or  Confucian  Temple  at  Nanking 


BUDDHIST  TEMPLE  ON  ISLAND  OF  PU-TL 
The  most  sacred  place  in  Chinese  Buddhism 


THINGS  CHINESE 


151 


between  China  and  Western  Asia  which  it 
was  quite  impossible  to  contend  with.  The 
desert  has  gradually  encroached,  and  is  still 
encroaching,  upon  the  western  frontiers  of 
China.  The  desiccation  of  Central  Asia  has 
obliterated  many  fertile  lands,  and  it  is  only 
a process  of  time  until  the  capital  shares  a 
similar  fate.  The  sand  is  gradually  encroach- 
ing on  Peking,  and  this  should  prove  an  addi- 
tional reason  for  removing  the  capital  from 
Peking  to  Nanking.  Southward  advance  into 
India  was  thwarted  by  the  Himalayas,  for 
mountains  then,  as  now,  present  the  greatest 
difficulties  to  be  overcome  by  armies;  they 
constitute  the  chief  barriers  also  to  the  inter- 
community of  peoples,  and  debar  effective 
military  occupations  of  remote  territories. 
When  China  became  separated  from  the 
West,  her  people,  hemmed  in  by  mountains 
and  cut  off  by  impassable  deserts,  lost  touch 
with  the  rest  of  mankind,  with  the  result 
that  they  relapsed  into  a state  of  inborn  con- 
ceit, which  led  them  to  imagine  that  they  were 
the  people,  and  that  the  rest  of  the  world 
remained  as  they  had  originally  found  them, 
in  a state  of  ‘ ^ utter  barbarism.  ’ ’ It  was  only 
when  ships  of  sufficient  size  were  built  by 
Europeans  to  travel  long  distances  that 
China  was  again  brought  into  contact  with 
the  outer  world.  For  about  five  hundred 


152 


SUN  YAT  SEX 


years  at  least  they  had  been  left  to  them- 
selves, and  it  was  not  until  the  Portuguese, 
some  three  hundred  and  fifty  years  ago,  fol- 
lowed by  the  Dutch  and  the  English,  reached 
China  by  sea,  that  the  Chinese  had  any 
knowledge  of  the  change  which  had  occurred 
amongst  the  inhabitants  of  Europe.  For 
some  three  centuries  they  held  these  visitors 
in  contempt  and  reluctantly  tolerated  them 
at  only  a few  of  their  ports.  They  took  no 
heed  of  these  men  who  came  thither  in 
their  ships  to  barter  goods  for  tea  and 
silk. 

Gradually,  however,  the  trade  increased; 
the  \usits  of  these  unwelcome  “ foreign  dev- 
ils ’’  were  tolerated  at  times,  and  again 
thwarted  by  edicts  promulgated  by  the  Man- 
chu  rulers.  One  says  the  Manchu  rulers  ad- 
visedly; for  before  the  Manchu  regime,  whilst 
China  was  governed  by  the  Ming  (or  Chi- 
nese) Emperors,  foreigners  were  allowed  to 
enter  and  travel  through  the  country  unmo- 
lested. As  the  British  traders  became  more 
and  more  persistent  in  their  attempts  to  open 
up  trade  in  tea  and  silk,  troubles  arose  which 
led  to  several  wars  during  the  last  century, 
with  the  result  that  treaties  and  concessions 
were  insisted  upon  and  some  ports  were 
opened  at  which  trade  with  the  foreigner  was 
allowed. 


THINGS  CHINESE 


153 


Tims  gradually  has  China  been  made  cog- 
nizant of  the  civilization  of  the  West,  with 
the  consequences  we  know  of  to-day,  when 
the  people  have  been  aroused  from  their  leth- 
argy under  the  stimulating  influence  of  Sun 
and  his  colleagues.  Had  China  had  no  tea 
or  silk  to  sell,  she  would  have  been  left  alone 
much  longer;  there  would  have  been  no  in- 
ducement for  the  European  to  make  the  long 
voyages,  which  in  the  days  of  sailing-ships 
extended  to  more  than  a year,  from  Britain 
to  China  and  back.  In  this  manner  has  China 
passed  through  the  phases  of  her  develop- 
ment— a change  brought  about  by  a natural 
sequence  of  events  partly  geographical, 
partly  owing  to  the  demand  for  the  products 
which  she  was  alone  able  to  supply  to  the 
rest  of  the  world. 

The  armies  of  the  Chinese  Empire  in  ear- 
lier times  penetrated  far  beyond  the  immedi- 
ate confines  of  their  home  territories  and 
compelled  submission  and  demanded  tribute 
from  many  tribes  and  potentates.  Their  ad- 
vance across  Western  Asia  and  their  pres- 
ence in  Eastern  Europe  came  nigh  to  swamp 
the  Eurasian  continents  and  establish  a Mon- 
goloid in  place  of  an  Indo-European  people 
in  Europe  and  South-West  Asia.  They  left 
their  mark  in  Eussia,  and  the  phrase 

Scratch  a Russian  and  you  will  find  a Tar- 


154 


SUX  YAT  SEX 


tar  holds  good  to-day.  Southward  the 
Mongolians  crossed  the  Himalayas  and  left 
the  Xepalese — a Mongolian  people — as  a leg- 
acy. They  passed  into  Burmah  and  peopled 
it.  Siam,  Annam,  Cochin  China,  and  Cam- 
bodia had  to  bow  before  their  might,  and  to 
the  present  time  most  of  these  countries  pay 
tribute  to  China.  The  tribute  may  be  noth- 
ing more  than  a bowl  of  rice,  a present  of 
flowers,  a mere  pepper-corn  ” tribute,  but 
still  it  is  tribute,”  and  neglect  to  forward 
it  is  regarded  as  a slight  to  the  suzerain  and 
a punishable  offence.  Asia  and  half  Europe, 
in  the  days  of  Genghis  Khan  and  Kublai 
Khan,  were  practically  at  their  feet,  and  they 
believed  there  were  no  more  worlds  ” to 
conquer.  Satiated  with  conquest,  having  ob- 
tained the  mastery  of  all  around  them,  pos- 
sessing a chdlization  as  superior  in  its  form 
to  their  neighbors’  as  ours  is  to-day  to  that 
of  the  court  of  Dahomey,  it  is  scarcely  to  be 
wondered  at  that  they  grew  conceited  and 
wrapped  themselves  up  in  self-satisfaction. 
Arms  could  achieve  no  more,  and  they  came 
to  regard  prowess  on  the  field  of  battle  an 
unworthy  calling  for  intellectual  men  to 
follow. 

With  the  world  as  they  knew  it  paying 
tribute,  arms  and  armies  seemed  uncalled 
for;  their  advanced  civilization  reached  the 


THINGS  CHINESE 


155 


stage  whicli  some  Western  Europeans  wish 
to  see  attained  at  the  present  day,  namely, 
the  abolition  of  armies  in  favor  of  interna- 
tional courts  of  justice,  where  all  matters 
in  dispute  between  nations  are  to  be  adjudi- 
cated. The  Chinese  attained  this  pinnacle  of 
super-civilization  five  hundred  years  ago. 
The  status  of  the  soldier  was  depreciated  and 
regarded  as  a caste  and  calling  of  a low, 
perhaps  the  lowest,  degree.  Only  now  is 
Western  Europe  dreaming  of  such  a state  of 
civilization;  the  Chinese  not  only  dreamt  of 
it  but  acted  upon  it,  and  it  has  proved  their 
undoing.  Super-civilization  of  the  kind  is 
theoretically  beautiful  in  its  conception,  and 
would,  no  doubt,  be  possible  of  attainment 
if  there  existed  but  one  ruler  or  one  pre- 
dominant race  in  the  world.  The  Chinese, 
so  far  as  they  knew  the  world,  were  in  that 
position  and  could  afford  to  convert  their 
swords  into  pruning-hooks.  Unfortunately 
for  the  fulfilment  of  their  dream  of  peace, 
there  appeared  barbarians  from  the  outer 
world,  who  desired  not  only  commercial  re- 
lationship, but  who  had  the  presumption  to 
present  petitions  to  the  Throne,  and  refused 
to  allow  their  people  to  be  judged  or  pun- 
ished according  to  the  law  of  China.  This 
led  to  trouble,  to  war,  to  loss  of  territory,  to 
humiliation,  and  to  loss  of  face  ’’  in  the 


156  SUN  YAT  SEN 

eyes  of  the  world  and  in  their  estimation  of 
themselves. 

China  had  no  armed  force  wherewith  to 
withstand  the  inroads  of  these  outer  bar- 
barians militarism  as  a profession  was 

held  in  contempt,  and  not  all  the  edicts  of  the 
“ Son  of  Heaven  could  drive  the  bar- 
barians back  to  their  dens.  It  might  be 
thought,  and  with  a high  degree  of  reason, 
that  a nation  to  whom  fighting  was  abhorrent 
and  regarded  as  degrading  would,  in  the 
course  of  some  five  hundred  years,  find  the 
fighting  instincts  of  the  people  blunted,  and 
that  the  men  would  have  become  effete  and 
would  shrink  from  war  and  battle. 

In  this  condition  of  unalloyed  peace,  the  - 
result  of  military  prowess,  China  might 
have  continued  indefinitely  had  she  been  left 
alone.  But  it  was  not  to  be.  The  almost 
complete  isolation  that  had  so  long  prevailed 
became  impossible  as  new  modes  of  travel 
both  by  sea  and  land  developed.  Foreigners 
came  to  Chinese  shores  first  in  their  large 
ocean-going  sailing-ships,  attracted  thither 
by  the  desire  for  the  tea,  silk,  camphor,  &c., 
which  the  Chinese  produced  and  because  they 
found  a ready  market  for  rice,  sugar,  cotton 
goods,  and  the  thousand-and-one  articles 
which  go  to  make  up  the  merchandise  of 


THINGS  CHINESE  157 

necessaries.”  Not  to  be  put  off,  foreigners 
approached  from  all  sides. 

In  the  north  and  west  the  Russians  and 
Central  Asian  peoples  closed  in  upon  the 
frontiers  of  the  Middle  Kingdom.  The  sea- 
ports were  visited  by  Europeans,  and  con- 
cessions demanded  at  the  point  of  the  bay- 
onet, which  was  occasionally  thrust  home. 
The  establishment  of  foreign  embassies  and 
consulates  was  insisted  upon,  treaties  were 
enforced  at  the  cannon’s  mouth,  and  of  late 
years  territory  has  been  seized  and  held  by 
several  Powers.  The  Chinese  have,  in  fact, 
been  driven  by  force  into  becoming  a mere 
nation,  whilst  a century  ago  they  were  a 
dominant  people.  The  elephant  amongst  na- 
tions, China  has  been  pestered,  worried,  and 
nibbled  at  by  the  rest  of  the  world  until  she 
has  come  to  realize  that  her  sway  is  not  uni- 
versal, that  her  boundaries  are  not  illimita- 
ble, and  that  she  cannot  nowadays  compel 
world-wide  tribute.  At  first  she  regarded 
the  visits  of  these  foreigners  as  a passing 
phenomenon  in  her  existence  that  would  soon 
cease;  the  people  who  came  to  her  shores 
claiming  to  be  civilized  she  had  formerly 
known  only  as  barbarians;  compared  with 
China  these  modern  nations  were  regarded 
as  creations  of  yesterday  and  of  mushroom 
growth — mere  froth,  which  would  bubble  for 


158 


SUN  YAT  SEN 


a while  and  then  fade  away  into  the  ocean 
from  whence  it  came. 

It  is  the  interference  of  the  foreign  Powers 
that  has  made  China  a nation,  and  for  the 
first  time  for  many  centuries  she  has  had  to 
buckle  to  and  see  to  it  that  her  frontiers 
are  respected,  that  her  power  is  established, 
and  that  her  house  is  put  in  order.  That 
she  can  do  it  is  beyond  doubt,  and  that  she 
will  do  it  the  Chinese  themselves  are  deter- 
mined upon.  Let  the  nations  who  have 
brought  this  about  look  to  themselves.  These 
are  no  barbarous  people  emerging  into  the 
refulgence  of  an  unaccustomed  civilization, 
but  a people  of  high  and  ancient  civilization 
being  narrowed  down  to  become  a nation. 
Kesourceful,  capable,  and  self-reliant,  the 
Chinese  possess  all  the  qualities  and  attri- 
butes of  greatness.  It  is  said  there  are  three 
elements  necessary  to  make  a people  great — 
prowess  in  the  field,  diplomatic  ability,  and 
commercial  instincts.  China  has  had,  and 
still  has,  all  three  and  some  of  them  in  a 
superlative  degree.  The  first  of  these  has 
been  in  abeyance  for  some  centuries  but  the 
fighting  instinct  is  there,  and  it  wants  but 
to  be  organized  to  place  it  on  a level  of 
excellence  with  the  others. 

The  efficiency  and  superiority  of  the  armies 
of  China  reached  a maximum  of  attainment 


THINGS  CHINESE 


159 


in  the  days  of  Genghis  Khan  and  Kublai 
Khan.  These  great  soldiers  reduced  well- 
nigh  all  Asia  to  submission  and  conquered 
in  Europe  wherever  they  appeared.  So 
firmly  was  the  military  superiority  of  China 
established,  that  its  very  thoroughness 
proved  the  undoing  of  the  country,  for,  sa- 
tiated with  success,  soldiering  came  to  be 
neglected,  and  organized  armies  passed  out 
of  existence.  No  foemen  worthy  of  their 
steel  were  left,  the  sword  was  condemned  to 
rust,  and  the  nation  gave  itself  over  to  lit- 
erature (unfortunately  of  a useless  kind) 
and  to  commerce.  The  Emperors  ruled  the 
nation  and  kept  the  people  in  submission  and 
in  darkness  by  a few  regiments,  and  the  fight- 
ing instinct  of  the  people  was  curbed  and 
scotched.  That  it  was  not  destroyed,  how- 
ever, recent  events  have  shown,  and  its  con- 
tinued existence  has  proved  the  salvation  of 
the  country.  Without  it  there  would  have 
been  no  reform  achieved ; the  Manchus 
would  have  continued  their  harassing  rule 
and  kept  the  people  of  China  in  ignorance 
and  backwardness. 

As  examples  of  fortitude  in  the  field  we 
have  several  modern  instances.  Take,  for 
example,  Gordon’s  testimony  during  the 
Taiping  Eebellion  of  the  courage  displayed 
by  the  men  in  the  ‘ ‘ Ever  Victorious  ’ ’ Army. 


160 


SUX  YAT  SEX 


Xot  only  did  Gordon's  men  earn  encomiums 
from  their  leader,  hnt  their  Taiping  adver- 
saries fought  with  a determination  which 
won  the  admiration  of  the  foreign  officers 
who  served  in  Gordon’s  army. 

Again,  during  the  recent  Boxer  Rising  the 
officers  of  the  allied  European  armies  ac- 
corded a high  meed  of  praise  to  the  capabil- 
ity and  bravery  of  the  Chinese  troops  op- 
posed to  them,  and  on  one  memorable  occa- 
sion at  least  the  allies  had  to  retire  before 
their  adversaries.  In  the  recent  fighting  also 
around  Hankow  a British  surgeon  relates 
how  keen  the  Chinese  soldiers  were.  Seri- 
ously wounded  men,  after  their  wounds  were 
dressed,  could  with  difficulty  be  restrained 
from  returning  to  the  fighting  line;  even 
when  so  severely  injured  as  to  require  to 
be  taken  to  hospital,  it  was  no  uncommon 
thing  to  fiud  on  visiting  the  hospital  in  the 
morning  that  wounded  soldiers  had  escaped 
during  the  night  and  again  gone  to  the 
front.  That  they  did  so  was  confirmed 
by  the  fact  that  several  of  the  previously 
wounded  men  were  brought  again  to  hospital 
suffering  from  further  wounds  which  totally 
incapacitated  them. 

This  is  evidence  of  valor  worthy  of  the 
bravest ; and  affords  abundant  testimony  that 


THINGS  CHINESE  161 

the  fighting  instincts  and  courage  of  the 
Chinese  have  not  been  lost. 

Along  with  the  courage  and  readiness  to 
fight,  the  Chinese  have  occasionally  resorted 
to  tactics  now  Fabian,  now  Machiavellian  in 
their  type.  Sometimes  devices  showing  su- 
preme genius  characterized  their  efforts  in 
dealing  with  an  enemy;  examples  of  which 
there  are  many.  As  an  instance  of  the  kind, 
and  at  the  same  time  showing  how  well  the 
Chinese  could  be  kept  in  hand  when  neces- 
sity demanded,  the  story  of  a rebel  leader 
will  serve  to  illustrate.  The  supremacy  of 
the  Manchu  rulers  was  not  universally 
received  throughout  China  when,  in  a.d.  1643, 
they  ascended  the  throne. 

Many  Chinese  refused  to  shave  their  heads 
in  token  of  submission  and  to  adopt  the  Tar- 
tar fashion  of  a long  plaited  tress  or  cue. 
A portion  of  the  south  remained  unsubdued, 
and  under  a maritime  leader,  Koshinga,  re- 
mained true  to  the  Chinese,  or  Ming  dy- 
nasty, cause.  Co-operating  with  adherents 
on  shore,  Koshinga,  with  his  headquarters  on 
the  island  of  Formosa,  not  only  enlisted  the 
Chinese  fleet,  but  he  also  got  together  the 
boat  population  of  Formosa  and  of  the  China 
coast,  and  led  a predatory  host  to  plunder 
and  sack  one  city  after  another  along  the 
Chinese  littoral.  He  swept  over  Canton, 


162 


SUN  YAT  SEN 


Amoy,  Swatow,  Foochow,  Shanghai,  &c.,  and 
no  place  adjacent  to  the  sea  or  the  estuaries 
of  rivers  was  safe  from  his  onslaught.  The 
authorities  on  the  mainland  were  helpless; 
they  had  no  boats  wherewith  to  attack,  for 
every  fisherman,  sailor  and  pirate  with  their 
crafts  had  joined  the  rebels;  there  were  not 
sufficient  troops  in  the  country  to  garrison 
the  towns  along  2,500  miles  of  sea-coast,  and 
no  warning  was  ascertainable  as  to  where 
the  next  attack  was  to  be  made.  For  years 
did  this  continue,  and  the  authorities  were 
driven  to  despair.  At  last  a plan  of  cam- 
paign was  devised  which  for  ingenuity  of 
conception  and  enormity  of  detail  has  no 
parallel.  It  was  no  other  than  that  the  en- 
tire population  of  the  sea-coasts  of  China 
should  retire  inland,  leaving  the  towns  and 
country  bare.  Not  only  did  the  people  move 
away  from  the  shore,  but  animals  of  every 
kind  were  removed;  houses  were  emptied  of 
their  effects;  provender  that  could  not  be 
carried  inwards  was  destroyed,  and  the  coun- 
try for  three  leagues  from  the  sea  was 
rendered  a desert.  When  next  the  rebel 
fleet  attacked  there  was  nothing  to  be 
obtained. 

One  city  after  another  told  the  same  tale, 
until  at  last  want  of  supplies  began  to  have 
its  effect ; the  rough  adherents  began  to  quar- 


THINGS  CHINESE 


163 


rel  amongst  themselves ; the  scramble  for  food 
became  severe,  and  the  delinquents  reverted 
to  the  Emperor.  Finally  the  instigator  of 
the  rebellion  was  compelled  to  deliver  For- 
mosa to  the  Government,  and  peace  was  re- 
stored. A nation  capable  of  devising  and 
carrying  out  so  gigantic  a co-ordination  of 
the  masses — for  some  30,000,000  of  people 
were  affected  by  the  removal — is  a dangerous 
one  to  encounter. 

Again,  the  extraordinary  persistency  and 
patience  whereby  an  invading  army  from 
Turkestan  was  driven  back  for  some  700 
miles  across  the  desert  district  of  Chinese 
Tartary  by  the  ‘‘  agricultural  army  ’’  in  the 
middle  of  last  century  showed  a power  of 
resource  and  a genius  of  a kind  peculiarly 
Chinese.  Unable  to  meet  the  enemy  in  an 
open  engagement,  the  Chinese  troops,  under 
the  crafty  Tso-Tsun-Tau,  encamped  in  the 
neighborhood  of  the  opposing  force  and  held 
a piece  of  ground  which  they  cultivated,  and 
on  it  grew  their  food.  Now  they  would 
harass  their  opponents  and  cut  off  their  sup- 
plies, and  so  compel  them  to  retire  a certain 
distance.  The  Chinese  again  followed  them 
up,  cultivated  the  ground  and  had  plenty  of 
food,  whilst  their  enemy  was  almost  starved, 
or  lived  upon  the  victuals  the  Chinese  chose 
to  sell  them.  Now  the  Chinese  soldiers 


164 


SUX  YAT  SEX 


would  actually  appear  in  the  enemy’s  camp 
selling  food  of  all  kinds  which  they  had  culti- 
vated, and  at  the  same  time  obtain  knowl- 
edge of  the  numbers  and  disposition  of  the 
enemy’s  forces.  Then  they  would  withhold 
supplies,  again  loot  convoys,  and  reduce  the 
enemy  to  the  verge  of  stan^ation,  and  thus 
compel  another  retirement.  Again  the  Chi- 
nese would  follow  them  at  a safe  distance. 
These  tactics  were  repeated  time  after  time 
until  the  invaded  territory  was  recovered 
and  incorporated  once  more  in  the  Empire. 
An  enemy  possessing  so  high  a degree  of 
patience  and  fertility  of  resource  is  a trouble- 
some one  to  meet  in  conflict. 

War,  however,  we  have  seen,  became  a 
despicable  thing  to  the  super-civilized  Chi- 
nese, and  the  way  in  which  they  latterly  re- 
garded their  god  of  war  was  in  consonance 
with  this  attitude  of  mind.  Every  feature  of 
life  in  China  and  every  occupation  has  its 
presiding  deity.  Each  god  has  to  be  propi- 
tiated, but  whilst  lip  sendee  or  physical 
homage  is  given  him  the  respect  for  his  om- 
nipotence is  really  but  scant.  The  god  of 
war  is  supposed  to  watch  over  not  only  the 
chances  of  war,  but  the  munitions  of  war- 
fare; the  guns,  the  shot  and  shell,  and  even 
the  efficacy  of  charges  of  gunpowder  are  un- 
der his  protection  and  in  his  hands. 


A GATE  OF  PEKING 

One  of  the  sixteen  double  gates  in  the  outer  wall 


THINGS  CHINESE 


165 


Yet  do  the  people,  under  the  war  god’s 
very  nose,”  as  it  were,  steal  the  gunpow- 
der and  fill  the  vacancy  with  sand  or  saw- 
dust ; cannon-shot  is  removed  bodily,  utilized 
for  making  implements,  and  its  place  taken 
by  lumps  of  clay,  shaped  and  painted  to  look 
like  metal  shot;  the  mountings  are  stolen 
from  the  gun  carriages,  so  that  the  guns  are 
thereby  rendered  useless.  Even  the  very 
guns  themselves  are  at  times  removed,  as  the 
following  account  shows : When  travelling  to 
Peking  in  1894,  on  horseback  from  Tientsin, 
as  we  approached  Peking,  the  forts  in  the 
walls  loomed  large  and  threatening.  Ad- 
dressing the  Chinese  guide,  I remarked  that 
there  was  no  fear  of  the  Russians  getting 
into  Peking  with  all  these  guns  in  the  forts. 
‘‘  Oh,  no,”  laconically  remarked  the  guide. 
After  a time  he  said:  They  no  belong 

proper  guns  ” These  are  not  proper 
guns  ”).  ‘‘Oh!  what  is  the  matter  with 

them?  They  look  all  right.”  “ No,”  he  re- 
marked, “ You  look  see,  have  makee  paint 
’em  guns.”  I again  looked,  and  could  see  the 
mouths  of  many  guns  in  the  embrasures. 
My  further  interrogations  led  to  the  state- 
ment, “ Have  steal  ’em  gun,  what  thing  you 
see  belong  piecee  wood.  ’ ’ Sure  enough  it  was 
so.  The  guns  had  been  removed,  pieces  of 
wood  filled  the  embrasures,  and  a gun-mouth 


166  SUN  YAT  SEN 

was  carefully  and  exactly  painted  on  the 
wood. 

I remarked  that  it  was  very  foolish  to  do 
this,  ‘‘  What  for  makee  fool  pidgeon  all  the 
same?  Why  do  you  condescend  to  such 
foolish  business?  Oh/’  said  the  guide, 

‘ ‘ that  war  god  he  belong  number  one  f ooloo ; 
he  thinkee  that  all  the  same  proper  guns.” 
What  he  told  me  was  that  the  war  god  is  a 
fool,  and  he  (the  god)  believed  that  what  he 
saw  was  really  guns — and  consequently  Pe- 
king was  quite  safe.  I,  for  the  first  time,  un- 
derstood something  of  the  frame  of  mind  in 
which  the  Chinese  regarded  their  idols.  The 
gods  were  necessary  institutions,  but  they 
could  be  easily  cheated,  and  anything  would 
do  to  gain  their  protection,  so  long  as  even 
a pretence  of  reverence  was  paid  them.  A 
similar  frame  of  mind  obtains  towards  an- 
other god — the  sea  god.  All  Chinese  craft 
have  an  eye  painted  on  either  side  of  the 
prow  of  their  boats,  and  many  Chinese  will 
not  travel  by  a foreign  steamer  unless  they 
see  eyes  painted  on  either  side  of  the  prow, 
or  over  the  paddle-boxes.  They  have  framed 
their  belief  after  the  manner  of  a syllogism 
in  regard  to  the  matter  as  follows : — 

“ Suppose  no  got  eye,  how  can  see; 

No  can  see,  how  can  savey; 

No  can  savey,  how  can  walkee?  ” 


THINGS  CHINESE 


167 


The  opening  statement  is  not  confutable: 

It  is  impossible  to  see  without  an  eye  ’’ — 
real,  artificial,  or  painted,  is  not  in  the  ques- 
tion. If  there  is  no  eye,  it  is  not  possible 
for  the  boat  to  know  (savey)  what  direction 
to  take  (walkee).”  This  legend  is  a com- 
monly quoted  bit  of  ^ ^ pidgeon  English,  ’ ’ and 
repeated  to  every  visitor  to  China  by  old 
Anglo-Chinese  residents.  Wishing  to  under- 
stand the  import  of  this  arrant  nonsense,  I 
interrogated  a Chinese  in  the  matter  and 
said,  I cannot  understand  how  a sensible, 
practical  people  like  the  Chinese  uphold  such 
beliefs  as  these.  Why  do  they  continue  to 
paint  an  eye  on  their  ships?  ” He  replied, 
‘ ‘ That  sea  god  he  belong  number  one  fooloo, 
he  thinkee  that  all  proper  eye.”  They  hu- 
mored the  god,  but  they  did  not  honor  him. 
Our  forefathers  propitiated  witches  in  the 
same  way;  many  at  times  invoked  their  aid; 
others,  though  disbelievers  to  an  extent, 
would  say  nothing  against  the  witches  in  case 
some  calamity  might  befall  them. 

Christianity  did  not  do  away  with  these 
beliefs  in  our  country.  The  traditions  of  our 
ancient  heathen  gods  came  down  to  us  as  our 
witches,  kelpies,  bogie-men,  &c.,  and  to-day 
we  frighten  our  children  with  them.  The 
Chinese  still  set  up  their  gods  and  propitiate 
them^  but  all  real  belief  in  their  powers  has 


168 


SUN  YAT  SEN 


gone,  and  sacrifice  to  the  gods  has  become 
a mere  mummery.  We  are  not  so  far  away 
from  the  Chinese  way  of  thinking  after  all. 

The  transition  from  the  old  to  the  new 
China  of  to-day  has  been  much  in  evidence 
during  the  past  few  years,  and  in  nothing 
more  markedly  than  in  matters  military. 
The  bow  and  arrow,  the  oflScial  weapon  of 
China,  has  been  supplanted  by  firearms;  but 
the  transition  died  hard,  and  in  several  in- 
stances presented  comical  features.  Even  so 
late  as  1894  the  spectacle  could  be  seen  of 
sentries  armed  with  bows  and  arrows  mount- 
ing guard  at  the  gates  of  the  huge  modern 
arsenal  at  Tientsin  and  at  the  Taku  Forts  at 
the  mouth  of  the  Peiho  Eiver.  Within  were 
Armstrong  and  Krupp  cannon,  modern  quick- 
firing  guns,  repeating  rifles,  and  all  the  mu- 
nitions of  modern  war;  without,  a sentry 
carrying  a bow  and  arrow. 

But  although  armed  ’’  with  bows  and 
arrows,  even  these  were  viewed  with  sus- 
picion by  their  rulers.  No  one  who  has  seen 
the  Manchu  soldiery  practising  with  bow  and 
arrow  at  the  targets  can  ever  forget  the  ludi- 
crous spectacle.  No  archer  hit  the  target, 
no  archer  dared  to  hit  the  target;  it  was  as 
much  as  his  life  was  worth.  The  Manchu 
authorities  watched  the  proceedings  care- 
fully, never  served  out  more  than  an  arrow 


THINGS  CHINESE 


169 


or  two  at  a time,  and  care  was  taken  that 
the  point  would  penetrate  nothing  harder 
than  a target  of  straw,  rope,  or  canvas.  They 
sagaciously  reasoned  thus  If  a man  can  hit 
the  target,  he  can  hit  us.’’  In  other  words,  so 
little  did  the  Manchus  trust  their  own  kins- 
men that  they  were  afraid  of  men  who  could 
shoot  straight,  and  at  all  times  took  care  that 
the  weapon  was  incapable  of  causing  a 
wound.  A good  shot  might  turn  the 
weapon  against  his  officer,  and  thereby  wipe 
oft  old  scores  against  the  oppressor.” 
The  men,  therefore,  dared  not  exhibit  any 
skill,  so  the  arrows  went  wide  of  the  mark, 
or  fell  a long  way  short  of  the  target. 

With  the  modern  foreign-drilled  soldiers 
armed  with  rifles,  blank  ammunition  was 
served  out  to  them  as  a rule  when  they  went 
to  practise  firing;  this  was  partly  no  doubt 
for  economy’s  sake,  but  partly  to  avoid  the 
danger  to  the  rulers  of  placing  effective 
weapons  in  the  hands  of  the  soldiers.  Even 
in  the  recent  fighting  around  Hankow  blank 
cartridges  were  supplied  to  the  troops  in 
many  instances,  and  the  cannon-shot  used 
not  infrequently  consisted  of  wooden  or  clay 
balls  shaped  and  painted  to  look  like  real 
cannon-shot.  The  practised  economy  in  am- 
munition was  not  always  on  the  part  of  the 
Government ; the  officers  in  charge  of  the  am- 


170 


SUN  YAT  SEN 


munition  had  to  make  their  livelihood  some- 
how. As  pay  was  small  at  best  of  times  and 
always  uncertain  in  its  bestowal,  these  officers 
saw  no  way  of  earning  a livelihood  except  by 
deceit  and  fraud;  hence  the  charges  were 
of  sawdust  or  the  bullets  were  abstract- 
ed and  their  place  taken  by  stones,  clay, 
wood,  &c. 

This  disregard  of  efficiency  was  due  partly 
to  the  desire  for  economy  and  to  the  fear  of 
arming  the  people,  but  largely  to  the  tradi- 
tional disregard  and  contempt  in  which  the 
Chinese  for  hundreds  of  years  have  held 
prowess  in  the  field  of  battle. 

Although  China  has  her  mythology  in  com- 
mon with  the  early  history  of  all  nations, 
there  is  no  doubt  as  to  her  antiquity  as  a 
great  and  civilized  power.  Before  the  Chow 
d>Tiasty,  which  lasted  for  eight  centuries  and 
terminated  in  220  b.c.,  fable  and  fact  are  so 
entwined  that  many  are  inclined  to  regard 
the  accounts  of  the  Three  Emperors  as  myth- 
ical. One  of  these  myths,”  however — 
Fohy — some  2,600  years  before  Christ,  intro- 
duced organized  government,  the  arts  of 
music  and  numbers,  astronomical  observa- 
tions, and  all  that  we  understand  by  civiliza- 
tion in  the  home  and  in  the  national  equip- 
ment. The  Five  Sovereigns  succeeded  the 
Three  Emperors,  and  after  the  sovereigns 


THINGS  CHINESE 


171 


came  the  period  of  the  Shang  tyrants ^ who 
in  turn  were  displaced  by  the  Chow  dynasty, 
and  with  the  Chow  Emperors  the  definite  his- 
tory of  China  commences.  The  Chow  rule 
lasted  for  eight  centuries,  extending  to  the 
year  220  b.c.,  and  during  that  period  Con- 
fucius lived  and  wrote.  After  his  death  in 
477  B.c.  civil  war  prevailed,  and  it  was  not 
until  A.D.  220,  when  the  famous  Han  rulers 
came  into  power,  that  the  contending  na- 
tions were  again  amalgamated  as  an  empire. 
The  dynasty  of  Tsin  commenced  in  265  a.d., 
and  it  is  presumed  that  the  name  China,  or 
Tsina,  was  given  to  the  Chinese  by  the  people 
of  India  from  these  rulers.  The  Chinese 
never  had  a name  for  their  empire : they  were 

THE  people,’’  the  only  people  of  the  world, 
and  all  other  nations  they  regarded  as  mere 
dependents,  they  themselves  being  the  pre- 
dominant inhabitants  of  the  globe.  In  a.d. 
416  the  Tsin  rule  terminated,  and  the  country 
was  divided  into  two,  the  southern  portion 
with  its  capital  at  Nanking,  and  the  northern 
capital  in  Honan. 

In  A.D.  585  the  north  and  south  were 
blended  for  the  first  time  with  the  capital 
in  Honan.  The  Tang  dynasty  in  a.d.  618  suc- 
ceeded to  the  throne,  but  lost  it  in  a.d.  897. 
Civil  war  ensued,  and  it  was  not  until  a.d. 
960  that  the  Soong  (Sung)  dynasty  was 


172 


SUN  YAT  SEN 


raised  to  the  throne.  The  Mongols,  or  West- 
ern Tartars,  under  Knblai  Khan,  invaded 
China  and  founded  the  Tuen  dynasty,  but 
their  excesses  and  vices  led  to  complete  de- 
generacy, and  the  Ming  (Chinese)  Emperors 
succeeded  to  power  in  a.d.  1368,  and  ruled  un- 
til the  Manclms,  the  Eastern  Tartars^ 
usurped  the  throne  in  a.d.  1643,  and  only  ter- 
minated their  occupancy  of  it  on  February 
15,  1912,  owing  to  the  efforts  of  Sun  Yat 
Sen  and  his  colleagues. 

The  Mongol  or  yellow  race  forms  one  of 
the  three  great  tyiDes  of  the  human  family, 
and  along  with  the  Indo-European  constitutes 
the  population  of  Europe  and  Asia,  with  the 
exception  of  some  of  the  negroid  types  in  the 
Archipelago. 

The  Mongoloid  type  is  stamped  by  several 
physical  characteristics.  The  hair  of  the 
head  is  oval,  not  round;  the  skin  is  endowed 
with  a less  ample  coating  of  hair  than  in  the 
case  of  the  Indo-European ; the  bridge  of  the 
nose  is  less  pronounced,  with  the  result  that 
the  skin  of  the  upper  eyelid  forms  a fold  at  its 
inner  side,  giving  what  is  known  as  the  Mon- 
gol type  of  face.  It  is  usually  said  that  the 
eye  is  oblique,  but  this  is  not  the  case.  The 
fold  of  skin  at  the  inner  aspect  of  the  upper 
lid  gives  rise  to  the  apparent  obliquity,  and 
if  the  skin  over  the  bridge  of  the  nose  is 


THINGS  CHINESE  173 

pinched  up  the  fold,  and  so-called  obliquity 
of  the  eye,  disappears. 

All  European  babies  are  born  with  a low 
or  flat  bridge  to  the  nose  and  a fold  at  the 
inner  side  of  the  eyelid;  the  bridge  of  the 
nose  gradually  develops,  until  by  the  time 
puberty  is  reached  the  bridge  ’’  has  risen 
and  the  fold  disappears.  In  the  case  of 
Mongols,  however,  the  bridge  ” does  not, 
as  a rule,  develop;  the  eyelid  fold  remains, 
and  the  apparent  obliquity  of  the  eyes  con- 
tinues through  life  in  consequence.  Another 
facial  difference  between  the  Mongol  and 
Indo-European  is  the  presence  and  absence 
of  bumps  ’’  on  the  forehead.  The  Euro- 
pean male  at  the  age  of  adolescence  develops 
bumps  ” on  the  lower  part  of  the  forehead. 
These  are  not  due  to  brain  development,  but 
to  a separation  of  the  layers  of  the  bone  of 
the  forehead  just  above  the  eyes,  leaving 
cavities  occupied  by  air,  which  communicate 
with  the  nose.  The  elevations  that  result 
form  the  bumps  so  dearly  beloved  by  the 
head-reader,”  who  endows  them  with 
varied  forms  of  intellectual  capacity.  In  the 
Chinese  these  air-cells  are  but  slightly  devel- 
oped, and  their  features  appear  to  occidental 
ideas  as  baby-like.”  A ‘‘  child-like  and 
bland  ” aspect  is  natural  to  the  features  of 
the  Mongols,  not  from  the  causes  Bret  Harte 


174 


SUX  YAT  SEX 


would  have  us  believe,  but  from  normal  eth- 
nological developmental  causes. 

The  marked  development  of  the  cavities  in 
several  parts  of  the  small  European  skull  at 
adolescence,  when  the  voice  ‘‘  breaks,”  ac- 
counts for  the  more  rugged  outline  of  the 
skull  in  Europeans  as  compared  with  Chinese ; 
and  also  for  the  depth  of  the  male  (bass) 
voice  in  Europeans,  compared  with  the  most 
tenor-like  notes  of  the  Chinese,  especially 
when  singing,  in  which  a high  falsetto  is  the 
rule.  Of  other  physical  Mongoloid  character- 
istics one  is  a sturdy  frame,  and  although 
the  bones  are  relatively  small  compared  with 
Indo-Europeans,  yet  is  the  muscular  system 
capable  of  great  development.  The  gap  also 
between  the  canine  (eye-tooth)  and  its  neigh- 
bor in  front  is  a characteristic  Mongoloid 
feature. 

The  question  of  the  position  of  women  in 
China  has  been  put  to  me  by  many  women 
who  are  interesting  themselves  in  the  po- 
litical position  of  women  in  England.  They 
wanted  to  know  Sun’s  attitude  towards  wom- 
en’s suffrage,  and,  although  the  subject  is 
rather  a forbidding  one  to  touch  in  England 
at  present,  there  can  be  no  harm  in  describ- 
ing the  prospects  of  women  in  political  mat- 
ters in  China.  Sun’s  attitude  is  well  de- 
scribed by  Mr.  Arthur  Diosy  in  the  London 


SUN  YAT  SEN’S  TWO  DAUGHTERS 
Erom  a recent  photograph 


THINGS  CHINESE 


175 


Globe  in  February,  1912.  Mr.  Diosy  has 
written  several  articles  and  letters  and 
spoken  freely  upon  the  part  played  by  Dr. 
Sun  Yat  Sen  in  the  reform  movement  in 
China.  Mr.  Diosy  is  deeply  interested  in 
Chinese  reform — a frame  of  mind  inherited, 
no  doubt,  for  his  father  was  Kossuth’s  secre- 
tary. No  one  is  in  a better  position  to  de- 
clare his  opinion  than  Mr.  Diosy,  for  he  has, 
so  far  as  Great  Britain  is  concerned,  alone 
enjoyed  with  my  wife  and  myself  the  privi- 
lege of  an  intimate  acquaintance  with  the 
great  reformer,  and  of  hearing  Sun  expound 
his  views  on  all  matters  appertaining  to  the 
future  of  China  politically,  judicially  and 
socially. 

Women  in  China  have  hitherto  occupied 
no  place  in  the  political  horizon,  apart,  be 
it  said,  from  the  dowager  empresses  in  the 
royal  household — an  example  that  cannot 
be  said  to  be  propitious.  Chinese  women 
were  not  supposed  to  learn  to  read  and  write. 
A great  ditference  indeed  from  the  case  of 
the  men,  for  every  boy  in  China  is  taught 
to  read,  write  and  count.  In  China  for  thou- 
sands of  years  this  has  been  the  case ; yet  in 
Europe  compulsory  education  is  but  a thing 
of  yesterday.  In  some  nations  of  Europe 
universal  national  education  is  still  unknown, 
and  in  some  cases  the  proportion  of  persons 


176 


SUX  YAT  SEX 


who  can  even  now  read  is  bnt  abont  30  per- 
cent. of  the  population.  Althongh  not,  per- 
haps, given  “ school-board  teaching  ” as  we 
know  it,  yet  is  the  Chinese  woman  educated 
in  branches  of  household  work  which  amount 
to  little  short  of  the  marvellous  in  their  ex- 
cellence. In  sewing  work,  in  embroideries,  in 
hannonizing  of  colors  in  dresses,  table- 
covers,  bed-quilts,  petticoats,  jackets,  &c.,  the 
Chinese  men  and  women  are  skilled  beyond 
all  other  j)eople,  and  their  productions  are 
frequently  works  of  art  which  have  long  as- 
tonished the  world  by  their  perfection. 

The  position  of  the  woman  within  the  do- 
main of  the  household  is  a superlative  one; 
she  rules  absolutely,  and,  just  as  the  dowager 
empresses  have  shown  themselves  capable  of 
dictating  terms  to  the  Imperial  household  and 
edicts  to  the  Empire,  so  does  a woman  hold 
sway  within  the  jurisdiction  of  the  family. 
The  fact  that  men,  who  can  afford  it,  have 
a plurality  of  wives  must  lead  to  friction,  no 
doubt,  at  times;  yet  officially  “ Xo.  1 ” — that 
is,  the  first  wife — rules,  and  she  has  a voice 
in  the  selection  of  other  wives  if  there  are 
any.  The  mother-in-law,  however,  is  the  ulti- 
mate authority  in  the  household.  She  must 
be  obeyed  always  and  at  all  times. 

The  hesitation  of  the  Chmese  women  of 
the  better  classes  as  regards  coming  into  the 


THINGS  CHINESE 


177 


public  gaze  is  an  old-time  custom  observed 
to  the  letter.  A male  visitor  seldom  sees 
them,  and  in  the  street,  when  ladies  go  out, 
they  are  ensconced  in  a chair  with  the  blinds 
drawn,  so  that  they  are  completely  hidden 
from  view. 

All  Chinese  ladies  are  supposed  to  have 
small  feet ; only  women  of  the  laboring  classes 
allow  their  feet  to  develop  naturally ; but  even 
in  a relatively  poor  household  it  is  an  am- 
bition to  bring  up  one  girl  of  the  family  at 
least  as  a lady,’’  and  she  accordingly  has 
her  feet  bound.  Mrs.  Archibald  Little  has 
done  a great  work  in  trying  to  induce  the 
mothers  of  Chinese  girls  to  give  up  foot- 
binding. The  men  declare  they  would  like 
to  see  the  custom  done  away  with,  but  the 
women  insist  upon  it,  and  it  is  owing  to  them 
that  the  children’s  feet  are  distorted.  Sun 
intends,  at  the  earliest  possible  moment,  to 
legislate  against  the  continuance  of  this  cruel 
practice.  This  is  no  new  departure,  for  ever 
since  the  tenth  century  a.d.,  when  foot-binding 
is  believed  to  have  come  into  fashion,  at- 
tempts have  been  made  and  edicts  issued  for- 
bidding foot-binding,  but  with  no  very 
marked  result.  The  Manchu  women  do  not 
bind  their  feet ; it  is  purely  a Chinese  custom. 
Children’s  feet  are  commenced  to  be  “ made 
small  ” at  a very  early  age.  The  first  band- 


178 


SUN  YAT  SEN 


age  is  applied  so  that  the  outer  toes  are 
bent  under  the  sole,  whereby  in  time  the  big 
toe  is  alone  seen  when  looking  down  upon 
the  upper  surface  of  the  foot.  Later  the 
second  set  of  bandages  are  applied,  and  by 
these  the  foot  is  bent  back  so  that  the  ball 
of  the  big  toe  well-nigh  or  actually  does  touch 
the  heel.  These  bandages  are  applied 
throughout  life,  and  the  power  of  walking  is 
reduced  to  a minimum.  A maid  or  relative 
has  to  be  at  hand  for  all  but  the  simplest  and 
shortest  movement,  in  order  to  keep  the  small- 
footed woman  from  falling.  The  Chinese 
argue  that  the  custom  of  tight-lacing  common 
amongst  European  women  is  much  more 
detrimental  to  the  physique  than  foot-binding 
in  China.  The  evident  answer  to  these  com- 
ments is,  that  in  China  the  children’s  feet  are 
distorted  by  the  mother  before  the  children 
can  say  yea  or  nay,  whereas  in  Europe  the 
mother  tries  to  prevent  the  daughter  tight- 
lacing;  the  girl,  in  fact,  before  she  tight- 
laces  has  attained  to  years  of  discretion,  and 
need  not  do  it  unless  she  pleases.  Women  in 
all  parts  of  the  earth  attach  importance  to 
the  smallness  of  their  feet,  and  the  women 
of  one  nation  deride  those  of  another,  as 
the  French  do  the  English,  about  the  large- 
ness of  their  feet.  To  get  the  feet  to  appear 
small,  therefore,  boots  and  shoes  are  worn 


THINGS  CHINESE 


179 


by  European  women  of  a size  and  shape  to- 
tally at  variance  with  comfort,  and  the  feet 
become  distorted  and  misshapen  in  conse- 
quence. 

No  Chinese  woman  with  small  feet  ever  al- 
lows her  feet  to  be  seen  by  any  one,  not  even 
her  husband,  without  the  bandages,  and  sim- 
ilarly few  European  women  are  proud  of 
their  bare  feet,  owing  to  the  fact  that  they 
have  been  distorted  in  consequence  of  wear- 
ing boots  or  shoes  several  sizes,  it  may  be, 
too  small.  The  origin  of  the  idea  that  small 
feet  are  a thing  of  beauty  ” is  lost  in  an- 
tiquity, but  the  result  is  seen  to-day  in  the 
small  feet  of  Chinese  ladies,  and  in  the  at- 
tempts to  make  the  feet  look  small  at  all 
hazards  in  Europe.  Some  say  the  distortion 
of  the  foot  is  done  in  China  to  prevent  the 
women  running  away  from  their  husbands 
or  straying  far  from  their  homes  at  any 
time;  others  uphold  them  for  aesthetic  rea- 
sons, because  the  small-footed  woman  cannot 
stand  without  swaying  about,  and  she  ap- 
pears thereby  more  graceful — a waving 

golden  lily.”  Why  it  is  done  in  Europe  is  a 
mere  relic  of  barbarism,  but  it  is  a custom 
w^hich  there  would  appear  to  be  no  sign  of 
disappearing  from  amongst  us.  The  ^ ^ small- 
footed ” woman  in  China,  the  small- 
booted  ” woman  in  Europe,  will  be  with  us 


180  SUN  YAT  SEN 

for  many  days,  in  spite  of  all  efforts  to  uproot 
the  evil. 

Kecently  in  China,  chiefly  through  the  in- 
fluence and  work  of  missionaries,  Chinese 
girls  are  being  taught  to  read  and  write.  In 
several  places  they  are  being  educated  as 
doctors,  and  the  fact  that  one  can  see  many 
girls  attending  a medical  course  at  Canton 
is  a proof  of  the  movement  going  on.  A few 
Chinese  women  have  found  their  way  to  the 
British  Isles  for  the  purpose  of  education. 
One  of  the  most  notable  is  Eonan-Woo  (Mrs. 
Chang),  who  has  just  returned  to  China  after 
attending  the  classes  in  the  University  of 
Aberdeen.  Mrs.  Chang  is  a niece  of  Yuan- 
Shih-Kai,  and  has  done  much  to  hasten  re- 
form in  China.  Yuan  was  the  adopted  son 
of  her  grandfather,  and  Yuan  and  her  father 
were  brought  up  as  brothers  together.  Her 
grandfather  was  General  MToo,  who  fought 
in  the  Taiping  Eebellion  on  the  side  of  the 
Manchus ; her  father  was  a magistrate,  an  ad- 
vanced reformer,  who  persistently  advocated 
change  in  education  and  politics  for  China. 
Yuan-Shih-Kai  and  his  (foster)  brother 
agreed  that  reform  was  necessary,  but  they 
differed  in  one  point,  as  Yuan  was  always  in 
favor  of  retaining  the  Manchus  or  the  pre- 
dominance of  a sovereign,  whilst  Woo  was  in 
favor  of  a republic.  So  infatuated  did  Woo 


THINGS  CHINESE 


181 


become  with  the  story  of  the  French  Eevo- 
lution  that  he  named  one  daughter  Joan  of 
Arc  and  the  other  after  Madame  Roland.  At 
fifteen  years  of  age  Mrs.  Chang  had  read 
Carlyle,  Stuart  Mill,  and  Spencer.  She  went 
to  Japan,  where  she  met  Sun  Yat  Sen  and 
became  his  firm  adherent.  Mrs.  Chang  pub- 
lished a pamphlet  styled  the  ‘ ‘ Liberty  Bell,  ’ ^ 
which  had  a wide  circulation  in  the  Flowery 
Kingdom.  Her  uncle.  Yuan,  wanted  Mrs. 
Chang  to  take  up  teaching  at  Tientsin  in  the 
province  of  Chili,  of  which  he  was  at  the 
time  Viceroy,  but  she  declined.  At  the  Lon- 
don School  of  Tropical  Medicine  Miss  Ida 
Khan,  another  Chinese  lady,  studied  for  a 
time  and  showed  marked  ability.  No  one 
who  has  met  either  Mrs.  Chang  or  Miss  Klian 
could  but  be  impressed  with  the  verve,  the 
sound  common  sense,  and  the  general  air  of 
capability  which  characterize  both. 

That  the  women  of  China  are  capable  of 
playing  an  important  part  in  their  country’s 
development  is  assured;  that  they  will  be 
asked  to  play  a part  is  certain  from  Sun’s 
statements  on  the  subject.  Many  women  have 
already  helped  the  reformer’s  cause,  several 
at  the  risk  of  their  liberty  and  even  of  their 
lives,  whilst  some  have  even  donned  soldiers’ 
uniform  and  fought  in  the  ranks.  Sun’s  in- 
tention is  to  give  equal  political  rights  to 


182 


SUN  YAT  SEN 


men  and  women.  It  will  not,  however,  be 
universal  suffrage,  for  strict  educational  tests 
will  be  enforced  in  the  case  of  both  men  and 
women  claiming  the  vote ; and,  as  Mr.  Diosy 
says,  it  would  not  be  surprising  if  there  were 
two  Ministers  of  Education  appointed,  a man 
and  a woman,  presiding  over  the  departments 
of  male  and  female  education  respectively. 

From  earliest  days  in  the  history  of  China 
education  has  been  of  paramount  importance. 
Attaining  knowledge  is  the  ‘‘  be-all  and  the 
end-all  ’’  of  the  literati,  who  constitute  a very 
large  class  of  men  in  China.  Theoretically, 
and  largely  practically,  advancement  in  Gov- 
ernment emplo^Tuent  is  in  direct  proportion 
to  the  amount  of  knowledge  attained.  Exam- 
ination halls  are,  or  rather  were,  a prominent 
feature  in  the  capital  of  every  pro’^nnce.  As 
many  as  10,000  students  would  assemble  for 
examination  at  a provincial  capital.  These 
examination  halls  were  permanent  buildings. 
A chamber  or  cell  was  assigned  to  each  stu- 
dent; a high  iron  railing  in  front  of  the 
chamber  door  prevented  exit  or  entrance  for 
three  days;  the  candidates  took  food  in  bas- 
kets, and  water  was  placed  in  buckets  outside 
the  railings.  Thither  the  best-trained  pupils 
in  the  pro\’ince  went  for  competitive  exam- 
inations annually,  and  after  a long  and  rigid 
ordeal,  carried  out  under  sujDervision,  a cer- 


THINGS  CHINESE 


183 


tain  number  of  the  best  men  were  selected  to 
proceed  to  the  capital  for  competition  for 
high  posts  in  the  Civil  Service. 

The  subject-matter  of  the  examination 
was  the  Chinese  classics  for  the  most  part, 
and  in  addition,  essays  were  required  and 
poetry  was  not  forgotten.  The  actual  value 
of  the  knowledge  requisite  to  pass  these  ex- 
aminations seems  to  us  perhaps  worthless, 
but  we  must  not  forget  that  in  our  examina- 
tions for  the  highest  posts  in  the  Empire, 
namely,  the  Indian,  Home,  and  Colonial  Civil 
Services,  the  classics  (Greek  and  Latin),  es- 
says, and  a knowledge  of  English  literature 
are  of  the  first  importance.  One  may  ask  how 
the  knowledge  of  Chinese  classics  could  make 
a man  a good  viceroy  of  a province ; but  sim- 
ilarly we  may  ask  ourselves  how  an  intimate 
knowledge  of  Latin  and  Greek  can  help  our 
young  men  to  deal  out  justice  to  a district 
in  India  or  fit  them  for  the  multiplicity  of 
administrative  duties  they  are  called  upon  to 
perform  there.  How  well  these  young  men 
manage  Indian  affairs  is  one  of  the  marvels 
of  government ; and  how  well  China  was  ruled 
through  thousands  of  years  by  men  similarly 
trained  is  a matter  not  to  be  lightly  thought 
of  in  the  present  turmoil.  One  naturally  asks 
how  with  an  ignorant,  .corrupt,  and  etfete  gov- 
ernment class  in  China  the  country  was  man- 


184 


SUX  YAT  SEX 


aged  tlirough  all  these  centuries.  The  answer 
is  that  the  people  ruled  themselves.’’ 

The  parental  system  so  keenly  upheld  and 
rigidly  taught  by  Confucius  is  the  keynote 
of  organization  through  the  length  and 
breadth  of  China.  For  thousands  of  years 
the  Chinese,  as  distinct  from  others  of  the 
Mongol  race,  have  been  a peaceful  people; 
well  bred  in  the  sense  of  being  capable  of 
restraint;  loving  learning  for  learning’s  sake, 
and  withal  possessing  a well-ordered  civiliza- 
tion. Etiquette,  ceremonial  and  politeness 
have  been  looked  upon  as  the  essences  of 
behavior.  Eespect  for  seniors,  mindful  of 
what  is  due  to  authority,  and  rendering  due 
honor  to  parents  has  been  instilled  into  the 
very  fibre  of  their  being  ever  since  Confucius 
taught.  A people  thus  trained  and  educated 
are  easily  governed;  the  government  com- 
mences in  the  family  and  all  else  follows. 
Xeither  the  change  of  dynasties  nor  the  in- 
roads of  barbaric  neighbors  have  altered  the 
character  of  the  Chinese  by  one  jot  or  tittle, 
and  it  will  be  a bad  day  for  China  should 
these  excellent  traditions  of  their  race  be  dis- 
turbed. 

In  the  national  life  of  China  the  school- 
master plays  a conspicuous  and  important 
part.  Xext  to  the  parents  the  schoolmaster 
is  held  responsible  for  the  children  being  well 


THINGS  CHINESE 


185 


brought  up.  To  such  a degree  is  this  the 
case,  that  should  at  any  time  after  leaving 
school  a young  man  misbehave  himself  the 
schoolmaster  is  held  largely  responsible  for 
the  misdemeanor.  Although  the  boy  may 
have  left  school  several  years,  if  he  misbe- 
haved upon  the  schoolmaster  fell  a meed  of 
punishment,  because  he  ought  to  have  in- 
stilled better  principles  into  the  boy.  Nor 
did  the  punishment  cease  here,  for  neighbors 
also  suffered.  A concrete  example  of  the  kind 
was  told  me  by  Dr.  Sun  Yat  Sen  himself.  A 
son  in  an  evil  moment  killed  his  father,  when 
the  punishment  inflicted  was  as  follows : Not 
only  was  the  son  beheaded,  but  also  an  uncle 
suffered  the  death  penalty.  The  schoolmas- 
ter was  exiled  for  2,000  miles,  and  the  neigh- 
bors, occupying  the  three  houses  on  either 
side  of  the  murdered  man’s  dwelling,  were 
condemned  to  leave  their  homes  and  not  to 
take  up  residence  within  1,000  miles  of  the 
village  in  which  the  murder  occurred.  A 
system  of  government  of  the  kind  may  at 
times  occasion  an  injustice  to  occur,  but  it 
has  been  effectual  in  keeping  order  in  China. 

The  people  govern  themselves,  and  good 
behavior  in  the  community  is  well-nigh  en- 
sured. That  the  teacher  should  be  brought 
into  the  category  of  punishment  appears,  to 
our  ideas,  far-fetched,  and  were  it  acted  upon 


186 


SUX  YAT  SEX 


in  Europe  would  bring  home  to  our  school- 
masters and  our  teachers  of  religion  that  the 
nature  of  their  teachings  has  a responsibility 
which  at  present  they  are  not  supposed  to 
bear.  In  Britain  religious  and  moral  teach- 
ing is  being  denounced  by  the  so-called  ad- 
vanced ” directors  of  public  thought.  Ac- 
cording to  many,  there  should  be  no  moral 
or  religious  teaching  given  to  the  children  in 
our  schools ; they  should  be  allowed  to  choose 
for  themselves  when  they  are  old  enough  to 
decide.  Had  the  regime  operative  in  China 
been  applied  here,  our  schoolmasters  and 
clergy  would  be  punished  if  any  of  their  pa- 
rishioners misbehaved  themselves  and  came 
within  the  criminal  law  of  the  country.  A 
wholesome  doctrine  which  would  serve  us 
well,  for  were  every  criminal  traced  to  his  na- 
tive parish,  and  his  clergyman  held  responsi- 
ble for  his  departure  from  paths  of  rectitude, 
it  would  stir  our  clergymen  to  become  better 
acquainted  with  the  daily  life  of  their  parish- 
ioners than  they  are  at  present.  Apparently 
the  “ advanced  thinkers  ’’  of  to-day  would 
do  away  with  all  form  of  prophylaxis  against 
the  “ disease  of  criminality  ” — for  it  is  a dis- 
ease— and  the  only  thing  we  do  is  to  treat  the 
disease  after  it  has  manifested  itself.  The 
preventive  measures — the  business  of  the 
clergy — have  been  largely  removed,  and  it  is 


THINGS  CHINESE 


187 


only  when  the  signs  and  symptoms  are  pro- 
nounced that  the  ^ ‘ doctor  ’ ’ — in  the  shape  of 
the  policeman — is  called  in  to  treat  the  ail- 
ment. 

The  Chinese  system  is  quite  scientific,  ours 
is  pure  empiricism,  a mere  tinkering  with 
the  disease  we  call  crime.  Prevention  by 
moral  training  is  at  a discount,  restraint  is 
abrogated,  to  the  limbo  of  ‘‘  old-fashioned- 
ness,’^  and  being  sent  to  prison  is  often  suf- 
ficient to  stamp  those  who  break  our  laws 
as  heroes,  or  more  often  heroines,  and  the 
highway  to  win  a martyr  ^s  crown.  With  this 
mode  of  regulating  conduct  in  China,  with 
every  province  an  independent  state,  the  idea 
of  a republican  or  federal  system  of  govern- 
ment is  no  uprooting  of  principles. 

The  monarchy  has  long  been  titular;  its 
withdrawal  is  nothing  more  than  the  eftace- 
ment  of  an  idol  or  the  heathen  figure  of  a 
god.  The  Emperor  has  long  been  a mere 

monarchical  god,’’  and  just  as  the  Chinese 
treat  their  war  god,  their  sea  god,  and  the 
numerous  other  gods  which  they  set  up  to  be 
dealt  with  as  we  treated  witches  and  wise 
women — ^propitiating  them  when  it  suited  us 
to  do  so,  ridiculing  them  when  we  could  afford 
to  snap  our  fingers  at  them — the  passing  of 
the  son  of  Heaven,”  or  monarchical  god, 
when  he  misbehaves  is  no  more  to  the  Chi- 


188 


SUN  YAT  SEN 


nese  than  the  whipping  of  one  of  their  house- 
hold gods  when  he  happens  to  disappoint 
them,  or  even  breaking  the  god  in  pieces  and 
scattering  the  fragments  of  the  poor  clay 
image  to  the  winds.  Of  all  people  the  Chinese 
are  more  ready  to  take  up  a federal  system 
of  government  than  any  other,  for  they  have 
practically  been  a republic,  tolerating  a mon- 
archical deity  in  theory,  but  really  proceeding 
on  federal  lines  for  centuries.  There  is  no 
fear  for  the  future,  there  are  capable  men 
in  China  by  the  thousand;  potent,  grave, 
and  reverend  signiors,”  fit  to  rule  a province 
or  direct  an  empire.  Let  those  who  cherished 
the  belief  that  a titular  sovereign  was  neces- 
sary lay  aside  their  fears,  and  with  all  con- 
fidence lend  a hand  to  help  this  wonderful 
people  to  a better  state  of  government  than 
they  have  hitherto  enjoyed. 

In  commerce  the  Chinese  has  been  a po- 
tent factor  ever  since  he  became  known  to 
the  Western  world.  His  commercial  instinct 
is  acute,  his  honesty  in  commercial  transac- 
tions has  become  proverbial.  British  bankers 
in  China  tell  us  that  in  their  banks  the  Chi- 
nese shrotfs  ” and  compradors  ” have 
the  handling  of  their  dollars,  and  that  in 
many  years  of  experience  no  dollar  has  ever 
stuck  to  the  shroffs’  or  compradors’  palm.” 
In  the  early  days  of  commercial  transactions 


THINGS  CHINESE 


189 


between  Britain  and  China,  when  sailing- 
ships  took  a year  to  come  and  go  between 
the  countries,  when  there  was  no  possibility 
of  written  documents  being  drawn  up  and 
duly  signed,  and  the  Chinese  merchant’s  word 
was  all  that  the  ship  captain  had  to  go  and 
come  upon,  there  was  no  question  of  duplicity 
amongst  the  Chinese,  no  going  back  upon 
their  word.  When  the  ship  captain  returned 
to  England  and  told  his  employers  that  he 
had  made  a contract  with  a Chinese  to 
ship  another  cargo  of  tea  or  silk  a twelve- 
month  hence,  they  naturally  asked  to  see  the 
agreement.  Documents,  however,  there  were 
none,  and  the  employers  hesitated  to  believe 
the  captain  as  to  the  trustworthiness  of  a 
contract  of  the  kind.  They  did  not  Imow  the 
Chinese  as  the  ship  captain  did,  and  he  con- 
tentedly undertook  the  long  voyage  to  China, 
knowing  that  the  word  of  the  Chinese 
was  as  good  as  his  bond,  and  that  the  bargain 
he  had  made  verbally  was  a secure  one. 
Should  the  market  have  gone  against  the 
Chinese  merchant,  he  would  actually  supply 
the  goods  at  a loss  to  himself,  but  the  bargain 
would  be  faithfully  kept.  Did  the  merchant 
who  undertook  the  contract  die  in  the  mean- 
time, his  relatives  would  be  instructed  to 
carry  out  the  transaction  even  if  the  family 
lost  thereby.  Even  with  the  ^ ‘ foreign  devil  ’ ’ 


190 


SUX  YAT  SEX 


the  bargain  was  a consecration  to  be  fulfilled 
to  the  letter.  Xor  have  the  Chinese  Govern- 
ment ever  gone  back  upon  their  international 
financial  undertakings  with  Europeans.  At 
the  very  commencement  of  the  recent  out- 
break of  hostilities  at  Hankow  and  neighbor- 
hood, the  leaders  of  the  Eeform  Party  posi- 
tively stated  that  they  would  honor  and  re- 
spect all  financial  undertakings  and  interna- 
tional agreements  contracted  by  China  up  to 
the  time  of  the  commencement  of  hostilities. 

Every  one  who  knows  China  and  the  Chi- 
nese was  conscious  that  this  pronouncement 
amounted  to  a bond;  an  undertaking  which 
would  be  conscientiously  carried  out.  Yet  did 
the  foreign  financiers  continue  to  flirt  ’’ 
with  the  Manchus,  and  persuaded  the  Press 
that  the  Manchus,  not  the  reformers,  were  the 
winning  side.  The  contemplated  loan  which 
was  being  floated  at  the  time  of  the  outbreak 
for  the  benefit  of  the  Manchus  was  upon  the 
point  of  being  put  through,”  when  wiser 
counsels  prevailed  and  ad^dsed  postpone- 
ment. Had  the  loan  “ gone  through,”  Eu- 
rope would  have  been  £10,000,000  poorer 
to-day. 

Had  it  been  known  that  this  rising  was 
no  ‘ ‘ recurring  row,  ’ ’ but  a universally  preva- 
lent national  upheaval,  no  mere  faction  or 
provincial  rebellion,  but  instead  a people  de- 


THINGS  CHINESE 


191 


daring  its  mind,  a movement  that  there  was 
as  much  chance  of  stemming  as  to  thwart  the 
tide  in  its  flow,  there  would  have  been  no 
attempts  to  smother  its  importance  in  order 
to  get  the  loan  granted  to  the  Manchu  Gov- 
ernment. Evidently  none  of  the  financiers 
were  sufficiently  informed  of  the  nature  of 
the  recent  rising,  otherwise  some  of  them 
would  have  had  the  courage  to  grant  a loan 
to  the  reformers,  and  not  to  bolster  up  the 
doomed  Manchus. 

Those  who  contemplated  advancing  the 
loan  in  question  sought  information  from 
their  Governments,  and  from  every  possible 
source  except  the  right  one,  namely,  the  peo- 
ple of  China.  These  advisers  pinned  their 
faith  in  the  old  regime  continuing.  They 
clung  to  Yuan-Shih-Kai  as  drowning  men  to  a 
straw  until  the  whole  fabric  crumbled  beneath 
them  and  a new  China  rose  from  the  ruins. 
Still  was  Yuan’s  the  name,  the  only  name 

officialdom  ” mentioned  in  this  great  up- 
heaval; it  persisted  in  believing  Yuan  would 
be  able  to  ‘‘  save  China  ” by  preserving  the 
monarchy,  and  continued  to  lisp  the  name  of 
a man  without  power,  except  that  thrust  upon 
him  by  the  reformers,  whom  officialdom  af- 
fected to  despise. 

Affairs  have  managed  Yuan,  and  not  Yuan 
the  affairs;  as  a diplomat  he  has  long  been 


192 


SUN  YAT  SEN 


looked  upon  by  tlie  Chinese  as  a failure,  but 
regarded  as  a great  soldier.  They  attribute, 
rightly  or  wrongly,  the  loss  of  Korea  to  his 
bungling.  The  death  of  the  late  Chinese  Em- 
peror, an  ardent  advocate  for  reform,  would 
not  have  taken  place  had  Yuan  not  informed 
the  late  Dowager  Empress  Yehonala  of  what 
was  contemplated.  Had  Yuan  had  foresight 
or  a spark  of  diplomatic  genius,  not  to  men- 
tion patriotism,  in  his  composition,  he  would 
never  have  allowed  the  late  Emperor  to  have 
been  ‘ ^ removed  ’ ’ ; he  would  have  guided  him 
and  advised  him  to  keep  quiet  until  nature  in 
due  course  had  called  the  Dowager  Empress 
away,  when  he  would  have  been  left  to  rule 
alone  on  modern  lines,  and  thereby  saved  the 
Manchus  from  expulsion  and  preserved  a 
monarchy  for  China.  The  Chinese  say,  “ We 
may  grant  respect  to  Yuan  for  his  position, 
but  he  is  a product  of  Manchu  rule  and  can 
never  be  accepted  whole-heartedly  by  the 
Chinese.  Sun  Yat  Sen  is  loved  universally 
and  the  people  will  follow  his  teaching  and 
principles  devotedly.  ’ ’ 

Had  Sun  not  been  the  great  man  he  is, 
moderate  in  council,  sacrificing  everything 
for  his  country,  with  difficulty  persuaded 
from  retiring  to  his  native  village  and  taking 
up  life  as  he  began,  there  would  have  been 
disturbances  in  the  foreign  relations  of  China. 


THINGS  CHINESE 


193 


Sun  has,  diplomatically,  little  to  thank  for- 
eign nations  for,  except  perhaps  France.  It 
was  largely  by  French  sympathy  that  China 
was  allowed  to  work  out  her  own  salvation; 
and  it  is  this  Sun  alone  thinks  of,  not  of  the 
neglect,  the  slights,  the  churlish  contempt  for 
him  and  his  doings  displayed  by  authori- 
ties.’’ Whilst  Sun  has  little  to  thank  for- 
eigners for,  they,  on  the  other  hand,  have 
much  to  thank  him  for.  Their  trouble  in 
China  arose  from  the  exclusiveness,  not  of 
the  Chinese  people,  but  of  the  Manchu  rulers. 
In  the  times  of  the  Ming  (Chinese)  rulers 
the  country  was  open  to  foreigners  for  travel, 
for  commerce,  for  exploiting  any  new  reli- 
gion without  let  or  hindrance.  The  masses 
of  the  Chinese,  under  the  Manchus,  have  been 
taught  to  hate  the  foreigner;  his  presence  has 
been  upheld  as  a constant  slight  to  the  dignity 
of  China;  and  even  now  were  a powerful 
leader  to  direct  a campaign  of  expulsion  not 
all  the  might  of  Europe  could  repress  it. 
Japan  successfully  defied  the  might  ” of 
Russia,  and  altered  the  balance  of  power  in 
the  world.  China  has  many  resources  and 
plans  of  campaign  in  addition  to,  and  in  place 
of,  the  power  of  arms. 

Just  now  China  would  seem  to  be  at  the 
mercy  of  any  nation  or  group  of  nations;  it 
is  well  not  to  count  too  implicitly  on  this,  but 


194 


SUN  YAT  SEN 


to  be  thankful  that  the  spirit  and  principles 
which  direct  Sun  Yat  Sen  are  in  the  as- 
cendant, for  whilst  he  has  power  to  guide  and 
advise,  there  need  be  no  anxiety.  The  people 
may  prove  too  strong  for  Sun  to  control,  when 
they  find  their  great  leader  is  regarded  by 
foreigners  as  of  no  account  in  the  national 
councils  and  that  Yuan  is  alone  deemed  wor- 
thy of  recognition;  and  the  position  of  for- 
eigners may  become  an  awkward  one.  Let- 
ters from  Europeans  in  high  position  in 
China  which  appeared  in  the  Press  in  this 
country  were  ill-advised,  and  still  further 
seek  to  belittle  Sun  Yat  Sen  at  the  expense  of 
Yuan.  The  newspaper  before  me  now,  dated 
April  8,  1912,  has  an  example  of  the  style 
of  article  referred  to.  After  devoting  a col- 
umn to  Sun’s  intended  doings  in  a sarcastic 
sense,  the  writer  ends  up  by  asking,  I won- 
der what  stout  old  Yuan-Shih-Kai  will  have 
to  say  in  the  matter?  ” It  is  sincerely  to  be 
hoped  that  Yuan  has  the  power  and  capacity 
his  foreign  admirers  endow  him  with,  and 
that  he  will  carry  out  the  work  in  the  high 
position  Sun  has  conferred  upon  him  by  re- 
signing in  his  favor. 

Even  now  foreign  authorities  smile  at  Sun 
and  his  doings;  they  almost  invariably  refer 
to  his  name  apologetically,  and  any  reference 
to  his  work  or  his  statements  ends  up  with 


THINGS  CHINESE 


195 


a slighting  remark  derogatory  to  him  per- 
sonally and  laudatory  to  Yuan.  It  is  a fetish, 
a cult,  that  one  who  knows  the  world  quite 
understands.  Sun  cannot  be  bought  or  sold; 
he  cannot  be  driven  from  his  purpose;  he 
despises  publicity,  and  remains  the  same  hon- 
est, simple,  bewitching  character,  although  he 
has  tasted  of  the  highest  position  it  is  possi- 
ble to  think  of. 

Such  a man  is  hopeless  from  a diplomatic 
point  of  view;  to  financiers  he  is  impossible; 
he  is  the  stumbling-block  of  company  pro- 
moters and  an  incessant  vexation  to  the 
would-be  interviewer.  Sun  will  never  be  pop- 
ular with  ‘‘  authorities  a man  without  an 
axe  to  grind  is  impossible  to  deal  with  in  a 
committee,  a council,  a parliament,  or  a cab- 
inet. His  position  resembles  that  of  a doc- 
tor in  public  atfairs ; he  has  not  only  no  axe 
of  his  own  to  grind,  but  he  brings  forward 
and  supports  schemes  to  improve  the  health 
of  the  community  and  thereby  injures  his  own 
practice ; he  advocates  hygienic  schemes 
which  when  developed  may  bring  him  to  want. 
Such  a man,  were  he  not  a doctor,  would 
be  called  a fool ; but  the  doctor  is  expected  to 
behave  thus.  So  with  Sun  Yat  Sen;  he  is  a 
patriot  and  nothing  more,  and  not  all  the 
wiles  of  financiers  or  the  intrigues  of  diplo- 
macy will  ever  cause  him  to  deviate  or  make 


196 


SUN  YAT  SEN 


him  a party  politician.  It  may  be  his  train- 
ing as  a doctor  that  helped  to  bring  him 
under  the  ban,  and  caused  the  “ authorities  ” 
on  China  to  pass  him  by  as  a negligible  quan- 
tity or  an  insignificant  cipher  in  China’s 
councils. 

But  if  those  in  high  places  thus  lightly  re- 
gard a man  of  science,  the  people  as  a whole 
hold  him  in  high  esteem,  for  in  no  way  can 
a nation  be  judged  as  to  its  position  in  the 
scale  of  civilization  better  than  by  a study  of 
the  position  the  art  and  science  of  medicine 
holds  within  the  realm. 

As  in  other  branches  of  activity,  China  re- 
lapsed from  an  early  period  of  what  may 
justly  be  regarded  as  an  advanced  position 
amongst  nations  in  the  art  of  medicine,  to 
a state  of  stagnation  which  has  continued 
until  the  present  day. 

We  have  it  on  fairly  good  evidence  that 
4,500  years  ago  the  Chinese  had  an  inkling  at 
least  of  the  circulation  of  the  blood;  3,000 
years  ago  it  is  a fact  that  they  performed 
several  operations  skilfully  and  successfully; 
as  long  as  2,400  years  ago  they  had  systema- 
tized massage;  and  an  accurate  knowledge  of 
mercury  as  a drug  existed  a couple  of  cen- 
turies before  the  Christian  era;  and  about  the 
fifth  century  a.d.  serious  operations,  such  as 
removing  tumors  from  the  abdomen,  trephin- 


Fig.  I 

THE  PANTAGRAMME,  SHOWING  THE 
YANG  AND  THE  YU.  THE  MALE 
AND  FEMALE  ELEMENTS  OF  CREA- 
TION, IN  THE  CENTRE 
( See  text) 


THINGS  CHINESE 


197 


ing  the  skull,  &c.,  were  frequently  performed. 
At  an  early  period  specialism  in  medicine 
and  surgery  was  in  an  advanced  state. 
There  were  specialists  for  diseases  of  the 
eye,  chest,  abdomen,  skin,  women,  children, 
bone-setters,  dentists,  pain-killers,  bruise- 
curers,  gland  doctors,  military  surgeons, 
snake-bite  curers,  masseurs,  corn-cutters, 
midwives,  ship  surgeons,  faith  healers,  and 
miscellaneous  doctors,  in  other  words,  gen- 
eral practitioners.  So  specialized,  in  fact,  did 
the  medical  art  become,  that  on  external  doc- 
tors or  surgeons  and  internal  doctors  or  phy- 
sicians meeting  in  consultation  over  a case 
of  an  arrow-wound,  the  surgeon  would  nip 
off  the  arrow  at  the  point  where  it  protruded 
from  the  skin,  but  the  part  beneath  the  skin 
was  left  to  the  internal  doctor  to  deal  with. 

Medical  practice  in  course  of  time  became 
mere  adherence  to  ancient  custom,  and  was 
completely  subordinate  to  authority  and 
tradition.  Any  one  could  set  up  as  a doc- 
tor;'a coolie,  who  through  injury  or  laziness 
gave  up  manual  work,  would  after  a fort- 
night’s study  put  up  his  ‘‘  sign  ” and  start 
practice.  In  the  higher  grades  an  apprentice- 
ship was  served  before  practice  was  com- 
menced, and  in  the  highest  circle  of  all  a 
knowledge  of  the  points  of  the  body  at  which 
needle  puncture  could  be,  and  should  be,  made 


198 


SUX  YAT  SEN 


had  to  be  displayed  before  the  Eoyal  Phy- 
sicians in  the  capital.  Hereditary  instinct 
and  inheritance  was  a passport  to  recom- 
mendation for  a doctor,  and  as  early  as  the 
Chow  dynasty  the  public  were  warned  against 
swallowing  any  medicine  compounded  by  a 
doctor  whose  family  had  not  been  three  gen- 
erations in  the  medical  profession.  Chinese 
medical  literature  is  voluminous,  but  with  it 
all  there  is  scarcely  an  item  given  that  can 
be  seized  upon  on  which  to  found  a theory  or 
establish  a fact. 

The  basis  of  things  mortal  finds  expression 
in  China  in  the  figure  known  as  the  Panta- 
gramme  (Fig.  1).  In  the  centre  is  the  infinite 
void  or  universe,  divided  into  two  pear- 
shaped  bodies  by  a double  curved  line,  repre- 
senting the  male  and  female  principle,  the 
Yang  and  the  Yu.  Attendant  upon  these  di- 
agrammatic elements  are  eight  symbols,  of 
which  four  only  have  been  interpreted.  The 
uppermost,  represented  by  three  lines,  is  the 
male  (Yang)  symbol;  the  lowermost,  by  six 
short  lines,  signifies  the  female  (Yu)  prin- 
ciple; on  the  extreme  right,  consisting  of  a 
long  central  line  and  four  attendant  lines,  is 
the  symbol  for  Water;  and  on  the  extreme 
left,  two  lines  with  two  intervening  shorter 
lines  indicates  Fire.  The  four  intervening 
sets  of  lines  defied  even  Confucius  to  inter- 


Female  Reservoir 


]\Iale  Reservoir 


SCHEME  OF  THE  CONSTITUTION 
OE  MAN 

(See  text) 


THINGS  CHINESE 


199 


pret ; and  the  fact  that  not  only  was  the  figure 
in  existence  in  his  day,  447  b.c.,  but  that  the 
actual  meaning  of  it  had  been  lost  before  his 
time,  shows  the  antiquity  of  this  mythical 
symbol.  The  diagram  giving  ‘‘  the  scheme 
of  the  constitution  of  man  ” (Fig.  2)  indi- 
cates a further  advance  in  the  knowledge  of 
the  principles  of  physiology,  although  the 
scheme  is  altogether  incomprehensible  to 
modern  observers.  The  idea  seems  to  be  that 
there  are  two  reservoirs.  One,  the  inner,  the 
female  or  negative,  is  represented  by  the 
inner  circle,  in  which  the  ‘‘  influence  ’’  passes 
from  No.  1,  the  Heart,  to  No.  2,  the  Lungs, 
thence  to  No.  3,  the  Liver,  and  on  to  No.  4, 
the  Spleen,  then  to  No.  5,  the  Kidney,  and 
finally,  as  the  line  indicates,  it  travels  back 
again  to  the  heart. 

The  outer  circle  represents  the  male  reser- 
voir, in  which  A indicates  the  stomach ; B,  the 
large  intestine;  C,  the  ureter  or  duct  from 
the  kidney;  D,  the  gall-bladder,  and  E the 
small  intestine.  ‘ Below  is  the  figure  of  the 
Swastika,  towards  which  the  outlets  of  the 
several  organs  concerned  in  the  female  reser- 
voir empty,  and  beneath  the  Swastika  the 
ducts  leading  from  the  organs  of  the  male 
reservoir  find  exit. 

The  anatomical  figure  (Fig.  3)  represent- 
ing the  position  and  relation  of  the  different 


200 


SUN  YAT  SEX 


organs  of  the  body  according  to  Chinese  con- 
ception is  scarcely  in  accordance  with  mod- 
em research.  The  heart  will  be  readily  rec- 
ognized by  its  shape  and  position;  beneath 
the  heart  is  the  diaphragm,  the  function  of 
which  was  not  regarded  as  being  that  of 
breathing  as  we  have  it,  but  served  as  a par- 
tition to  keep  down  the  fetid  vapors  which 
emanate  from  the  organs  of  digestion  beneath 
it.  The  body,  in  fact,  is  held  to  consist  of 
two  regions : the  part  above  the  diaphragm — 
the  parlor  or  more  genteel  portion  of  the 
economy;  and  the  parts  below — the  kitchen 
or  culinary  department  of  the  body,  and  from 
whence  the  fetid  vapors  arise.  The  more 
prominent  features  of  the  anatomy,  such  as 
the  brain,  the  lungs,  and  windpipe,  the  gullet, 
stomach,  and  intestines,  &c.,  are  to  be  recog- 
nized by  a perusal  of  the  picture,  but  the  dis- 
tribution of  the  large  vessels  connected  with 
the  heart  and  several  other  items  do  not  fit 
in  with  modem  anatomy. 

All  nations  have  had  their  periods  of  the 
mythical  in  the  healing  art ; and  tradition  has 
affected  humanity  in  medicine  as  in  every- 
thing else ; nor  with  all  our  ‘ ‘ liberal  ’ ’ educa- 
tion have  we  got  rid  of  mysticism  and  the 
occult  in  medicine,  and  it  is  not  likely  we 
ever  shall.  In  the  list  of  specialists  in  medi- 
cine in  China  in  the  remote  past  we  find  ex- 


Fig.  3 

AN  ANATOMICAL  FIGURE  ACCORDING  TO 
CHINESE  CONCEPTION 

I.  Heart;  2.  Liver;  3.  Gall  Bladder;  4.  Lungs;  5.  Kidney; 
6.  Stomach;  7.  Brain  and  Spinal  Cord;  8 & 9.  Intestines; 
10.  Bladder:  ii.  Windpipe;  12.  Intestine;  13  & 14.  Outlets. 


THINGS  CHINESE 


201 


amples  in  modern  reversions  to  the  original 
type  among  ourselves.  Bone-setters  are  with 
ns  now,  and  are  a class  patronized  especially 
by  the  football  fraternity,  who  go  to  their 
bruise-curers  as  European  women  go  to 
Lourdes,  or  Chinese  women  to  the  Brass  Mule 
in  Peking.  Faith-healers  of  ancient  China 
are  represented  amongst  us  to-day  by 
Shakers,  Christian  Scientists,  Theosophists, 
or  by  one  of  the  many  beliefs  and 
practices  which  rise  up  with  persistent 
regularity  under  various  names,  only  to 
disappear  before  others  still  more  soul- 
absorbing in  their  ajJpeal  to  the  degenerates. 
Let  us  see  to  the  mote  in  our  own  eye  before 
posing  and  pitying  the  poor  deluded  ” Chi- 
nese for  their  ways  and  customs.  As  we 
show  signs  of  reversion  in  many  quarters,  the 
Chinese  on  the  other  hand  are  going  forward. 
They  are  clamoring  for  education;  the  mis- 
sionaries once  held  at  arm^s  length  are  now 
implored  to  teach  philosophy,  geography,  his- 
tory, science,  or  any  department  of  modern 
knowledge.  A people  to  whom  education  is  a 
passion  have  become  aware  that  the  knowl- 
edge they  have  been  allowed  to  acquire  has 
been  limited  to  as  much  of  the  ritual  of  Con- 
fucius and  other  writers  as  their  Manchu 
rulers  thought  tit  to  let  them  have.  The 
repetition  of  these  at  schools  led  to  nothing, 


202 


SUX  YAT  SEX 


taught  them  nothing,  and  left  them  in  ig- 
norance. Suddenly  a new  era  has  dawned, 
the  people  are  acquiring  modern  knowledge 
with  avidity,  and  all  prohibitions  concern- 
ing the  reading  of  books  from  which  real 
knowledge  can  be  acquired  are  removed. 

Dr.  Sun  Yat  Sen,  whilst  yet  a boy,  saw  and 
understood  the  uselessness  and  senselessness 
of  education  in  Chinese  schools,  and  knew 
full  well  that  an  intimate  acquaintance  with 
the  Chinese  classics  led  to  nothing.  He 
longed  for  instruction  in  science,  and  it  was 
this  desire  that  brought  him  to  the  medical 
college  in  Hong  Kong  the  moment  it  was 
opened ; he  was  the  first  student  and  the  first 
graduate.  The  sciences  of  botany,  chemistry, 
zoology,  &:c.,  with  which  all  medical  teaching 
commences,  opened  new  worlds  to  him,  and 
every  branch  of  study  served  to  satisfy  this 
son  of  intelligent  China,  a product  of  several 
generations  of  men  whose  brains  had  been 
famished  by  being  deprived  of  the  intellectual 
food  which  was  their  portion  before  the  Man- 
chus  came  and  whilst  yet  the  Mings  held 
sway.  Sun  studied  medicine  as  he  has 
studied  everything  else,  ardently.  The  lib- 
eral education  medicine  gives  has  stood  him 
in  good  stead;  since  his  energies  have  been 
directed  to  other  spheres  of  activity  he  has 
had  to  study  international  law,  military  tac- 


THINGS  CHINESE 


203 


tics,  naval  construction,  finance  in  all  its  de- 
partments, statecraft,  and  politics  in  all  its 
bearings.  He  bas  visited  many  countries,  and 
studied  their  institutions  and  modes  of  gov- 
ernment. When  residing  with  us  in  Lon- 
don, Sun  wasted  no  moments  in  gaieties;  he 
was  for  ever  at  work,  reading  books  on  all 
subjects  which  appertained  to  political,  diplo- 
matic, legal,  military,  and  naval  matters; 
mines  and  mining,  agriculture,  cattle-rearing, 
engineering,  political  economy,  &c.,  occupied 
his  attention  and  were  studied  closely  and 
persistently.  The  range  of  his  opportuni- 
ties for  acquiring  knowledge  has  been  such 
as  few  men  have  ever  had,  and  the  result  is 
known  to  us.  Sun  Yat  Sen  is  without  doubt 
the  man  possessed  of  the  widest  and  most 
liberal  education  in  China  to-day.  Learning 
is  the  one  quality  that  the  Chinese  respect 
above  all  others,  and  Sun’s  position  to-day  is 
due  as  much  perhaps  to  his  learning  as  to  his 
unselfish  patriotism  and  untiring  etforts  for 
his  country’s  good. 


IX 


THE  FIGHT  WITH  OPIUM 

NO  account  of  the  Chinese  Eevolution 
can  be  accepted  as  complete  that  does 
not  touch,  however  lightly,  on  the  ex- 
traordinary efforts  that  China  has  put  forth 
during  the  last  few  years  to  shake  herself 
free  from  the  insidious  tyranny  of  the  opium 
habit — a habit  that  in  no  small  degree  con- 
tributed to  the  inhuman  inertia  and  deadly 
lethargy  of  spirit  which  to  Westerners  seemed 
to  be  permanently  characteristic  of  the  im- 
passive Celestial.  The  story  of  China’s  de- 
liverance from  opium  proves  the  contrary, 
and  is  one  of  the  most  inspiring  that  has  ever 
been  written  of  struggling  humanity.  It  has 
moved  even  Cabinet  Ministers  to  enthusiasm. 
Said  Mr.  Montagu,  Under-Secretary  of  State 
for  India  : Few  reforms  have  been  so  mar- 

vellous in  the  history  of  the  world  as  the 
determined,  manful,  courageous  effort  which 
the  Chinese  had  made  and  were  making  to 
rid  themselves  of  that  terrible  curse.  They 
had  made  and  were  making  progress  which 
nobody,  not  even  the  Chinese  themselves, 

204 


OPIUM  SMOKERS 


THE  FIGHT  WITH  OPIUM  205 


could  have  prophesied  as  being  possi- 
ble a few  short  years  ago.’^  This  is  warm 
praise,  but  no  stronger  than  the  facts 
justify,  and  those  who  still  profess  scepticism 
as  to  the  permanence  of  the  change  that  has 
come  over  China,  and  who  confidently  afiirm 
that  the  revolution  and  the  Kepublic  are  alike 
of  mushroom  growth,  to  pass  away  as  swiftly 
as  they  came,  cannot  do  better  than  study 
this  chapter  of  the  history  of  the  unchang- 
ing East  for  most  clearly  does  it  demon- 
strate that,  once  the  Celestial  has  really  re- 
solved on  his  objective,  once  his  mind  is 
made  up  about  it  in  earnest,  then  he  brings 
to  bear  on  its  attainment  an  unsleeping 
energy  that  nothing  can  resist,  and  that,  as 
some  one  put  it,  leaves  the  world  lost  in 
astonishment.’’ 

This  has  proved  to  be  the  case  with  opium. 
Five  years  ago  Great  Britain  negotiated 
what  has  been  called  the  ten  years’  agree- 
ment ” with  China.  Put  shortly,  its  terms 
were  these:  We,  on  behalf  of  India,  under- 
took to  reduce  the  amount  of  opium  sold  in 
Calcutta  on  Government  account  for  export 
to  China  by  10  per  cent,  every  year  until  the 
traffic  had  finally  ceased.  There  was,  of 
course,  an  equivalent,  indeed  a much  greater, 
undertaking  on  the  part  of  China.  She  cov- 
enanted to  diminish  her  own  production 


206 


SUN  YAT  SEX 


coterminously  with  our  supplies.  Think 
what  this  meant!  Opium-smoking  had  be- 
come the  national  vice  of  China,  as  certainly 
as  alcoholism  is  ours.  The  habit  had  per- 
meated every  class  of  society.  The  idea  that 
only  the  low-grade  Chinese  indulges  in  the 
opium  pipe  is,  of  course,  fictitious.  The  busi- 
ness man,  the  Court  official,  the  nobles — all 
were  addicted  to  a habit  so  deep-rooted  as 
to  make  its  eradication  seem  almost  impos- 
sible, a habit  as  common  as  is  tea-drinking 
here.  The  Chinese  Government  said,  in  ef- 
fect, that  it  must  cease  within  ten  years. 
Small  wonder  that  the  edict  was  food  for 
smiles  everywhere — except  in  China.  The 
most  determined  enemies  of  the  opium  traffic 
thought  that  the  Government  were  courting 
disaster  by  attempting  to  achieve  in  a decade 
what  it  might  take  two  or  three  generations 
to  accomplish.  Scarcely  any  one  dared  to 
hope  for  success,  and  it  seemed  that  China 
had  entered  on  an  impossible  task.  Quite 
apart  from  the  fearful  hold  which  the  opium 
habit  had  gained  over  hundreds  and  thou- 
sands of  Chinese,  there  was  another  factor 
which  made  its  eradication  most  difficult — 
the  loss  of  revenue  to  the  small  farmer,  to 
whom  the  cultivation  of  the  poppy  was  a val- 
uable “ side  line.'’  Opium,  it  must  be  re- 
membered, is  extremely  portable.  The 


THE  FIGHT  WITH  OPIUM  207 


farmer  found  it  easy  to  carry  to  market.  He 
could  put  the  whole  product  of  several  fields 
on  his  back  and  sell  it  readily  and  profitably. 
The  Government  proposed  to  deprive  him 
of  this  most  welcome  addition  to  his  income. 
More,  all  officials  wffio  took  opium  were  to 
be  turned  out  of  Government  employ.  Opium 
dens  were  to  be  closed  and  opium-smokers 
held  up  to  public  ridicule.  Nearly  every  one 
prophesied  failure.  The  very  missionaries 
who  had  carried  on  a crusade  against  opium 
for  years  sadly  shook  their  heads.  Failure 
seemed  inevitable. 

And  then  what  happened?  Travellers  re- 
ported that,  whereas  opium-smoking  was 
once  so  common  a vice  that  you  could  see 
men  puffing  a pipe  at  their  own  doors,  two 
years  after  the  edict  those  who  smoked, 
smoked  secretly.  Lord  William  Gascoyne- 
Cecil,  in  his  fascinating  book,  Changing 
China,”  tells  of  the  extraordinary  difference 
those  two  years  made  in  the  aspect  of  the  land. 
On  his  first  visit  the  country,  as  seen  from 
the  railway  between  Hankow  and  Harbin, 
was  exquisite  with  the  white  and  pink  crops 
of  poppy,  ‘‘  resembling  the  transformation 
scene  at  a variety  theatre.  ’ ’ But  on  his  next 
journey  every  poppy  had  disappeared.  The 
edict  was  being  enforced  I Men  were  going 
to  the  missionaries  asking  for  some  cure  or 


208 


SUN  YAT  SEN 


relief  from  the  terrible  suffering  that  the 
cessation  of  the  opium  habit  brought.  Others 
died  from  the  strain.  Morphia  syringes  be- 
gan to  make  their  appearance,  for  many 
sought  relief  in  hypodermic  injections.  But 
the  elimination  of  the  poppy  went  on.  In 
Yunnan,  the  province  which  formerly  had  the 
largest  proportion  of  poppy  gi’owth,  opium 
gave  way  to  silk  and  cotton  cultivation.  In 
other  districts  the  production  of  cereals 
enormously  increased.  In  Chekiang,  the 
Statistical  Secretary  stated:  It  is  satis- 

factory to  be  informed  that  the  decrease  in 
the  importation  of  rice  at  Ningpo,  which 
amounted  to  the  value  of  3,300,000  Hk.  taels 
($2,500,000),  and  which  by  so  much  reduced 
the  total  of  native  imports,  was  made  good 
by  the  produce  of  lands  lately  rescued  from 
the  poppy  in  the  prefecture  of  Taichow.” 

In  many  provinces  total  prohibition  was 
resorted  to,  and  the  punishment  that  fol- 
lowed its  infraction  was  death.  The  success 
of  these  repressive  measures  and  the  im- 
mensity of  the  undertaking  of  the  Chinese 
Government  may  be  realized  by  a glance  at 
the  extremely  interesting  map  here  produced 
by  kind  pennission  of  the  Society  for  the 
Suppression  of  the.  Opium  Trade.  ^ 


^The  three  sets  of  figures  are  (1)  the  estimates  of  opium  cul- 
tivation in  each  province  contained  in  the  Report  on  Opium 


THE  FIGHT  WITH  OPIUM  209 


All  this  was  done  only  at  the  cost  of  im- 
mense pecuniary  sacrifice.  India  has,  so  far, 
actually  gained  by  the  diminution  in  the 
growth.  For,  so  far  as  she  is  concerned, 
the  only  reasonable  computation  proceeds  on 
the  average  receipts  before  the  recent  agree- 
ment was  made.  On  that  basis  the  net  annual 
revenue  from  opium  sent  to  China  amounted 
to  £2,489,000,  and  the  first  year’s  loss  to  the 
Indian  revenue  should  have  amounted  to 
£248,900,  and  in  three  years  to  thrice  that 
sum,  viz.,  £746,700.  Indeed,  it  was  under- 
stood that  the  Indian  Government,  looking 
forward  to  the  gradual  reduction  during  ten 
years,  calculated  on  eleven  or  twelve  millions 
sterling  as  likely  to  be  China’s  contribution 
to  India’s  opium  revenue  before  the  trade 
was  abolished.  Whilst,  according  to  the  most 
reasonable  computation,  India’s  revenue 
from  opium  sent  to  China  should,  during 
those  first  three  years  of  the  agree- 
ment, have  been  £1,991,200,  £1,742,300,  and 
£1,493,400  respectively,  the  result  has  been 
far  otherwise.  Instead  of  steadily  diminish- 


in China,  prepared  at  the  British  Legation  in  Peking  in  1907, 
and  published  in  the  official  White  Paper,  China,  No.  1 
(1908) ; (2)  and  (3),  the  estimates  of  opium  cultivation  in  1906 
and  1908,  presented  to  the  Shanghai  Opium  Commission  by 
the  Chinese  delegation.  Since  then,  further  great  reductions 
have  been  made. 


210 


SUN  YAT  SEN 


ing,  her  revenue  from  opium  sent  to  China 
has  been  largely  increased  as  follows : — 


Total  Opium 
Receipts 

1908- 09 £4,648,700 

1909- 10 4,418,200 

1910- 11 6,460,000 


From  China 
£3,867,700 
3,637,200 
5,697,000 


That  is  to  say,  that  the  Indian  Treasury,  in- 
stead of  receiving  as  the  result  of  the  first 
three  years  of  the  agreement  the  sum  of 
£5,226,900,  has  actually  received  the  sum  of 
£13,183,900,  or  something  like  two  millions 
sterling  beyond  her  reasonable  hope  for  the 
whole  ten  years.  Indeed,  India’s  revenue 
from  opium  sent  to  China  this  last  year  is 
far  greater  than  in  any  year  for  a long  time 
past.  The  sales  have  diminished  by  15,300 
chests,  and  yet  the  revenue  has  enormously 
increased.  Whence  has  the  increase  cornel 
The  explanation  is  only  too  easy.  The  dimi- 
nution of  China ’s  output  by  seven  and  a half 
tenths  has  raised  the  price  of  Indian  opium 
along  the  coast  of  China  to  an  enormous  de- 
gree. In  a multitude  of  places  there  is  now 
not  a grain  of  Chinese  opium  to  be  had,  and 
the  wealthier  confirmed  smokers  are  ready 
to  pay  300  to  500  per  cent,  for  the  Indian 
drug  to  relieve  their  horrible  craving. 
China’s  eagerness  to  be  rid  of  the  national 


THE  FIGHT  WITH  OPIUM  211 


curse  is  being  paid  for  at  a ransom  price. 
And  lest  any  should  say  that  these  high 
prices  for  Indian  opium  are  just  the  fluctua- 
tions of  the  market,  we  have  only  to  note  the 


MAP  TO  SHOW  WHAT  CHINA  HAS  DONE 


MAP  OF  OPIUM  PRODUCTION.  IN_CHINA., 


extraordinary  efforts  made  by  the  holders  of 
opium  for  other  countries  to  bring  that  opium 
to  China,  efforts  that  are  entirely  opposed 
to  the  spirit  of  the  agreement. 

Let  us  look  now  more  nearly  at  China’s 


212 


SUN  YAT  SEN 


pecuniary  sacrifice  over  against  India’s  gain. 
India  computed  her  ovm  normal  loss  at 
£248,900  a year,  or  in  the  three  years  £746,- 
7 00.  And  the  two  elements  involved  in  China ’s 
loss  are  (1)  all  the  surplus  that  India  has 
gained  in  these  three  years,  amounting  in  all 
to  £7,957,000,  and  (2)  whatever  may  be  esti- 
mated as  the  value  of  the  opium  relinquished 
for  the  sake  of  the  national  welfare.  She 
has  given  up,  not  15,300  chests,  like  India, 
but  438,800  chests,  and  computing  this 
for  a moment  at  what  was  the  Indian 
opium  price  at  the  beginning  of  the 
agreement,  we  find  that  it  amounts  to 
£746,000  (India’s  loss  on  15,300  chests) 

X 28  .(^38,000)  £20,888,000;  and 

(15,300)  ’ > . » 

adding  the  two  items  together  we  have 
the  enormous  sacrifice  of  £28,845,000.  It 
may  be  said  that  this  is  putting  the  value  of 
Chinese  opium  at  too  high  a rate,  but  if  we 
take  five  millions  sterling  from  it  we  still 
have  the  enormous  sum  of  over  £23,845,000.^ 
No  one  can  doubt  that  China  will  recover 
these  lost  millions.  But  who  will  deny  that 
their  sacrifice,  at  a moment  in  her  history 


^ For  this  analysis  of  the  financial  aspects  of  the  question, 
and  for  the  figures  given  in  support  thereof,  the  authors  are 
indebted  to  Dr.  Maxwell,  the  Chairman  of  the  Board  of  the 
British  Anti-Opium  Societies. 


THE  FIGHT  WITH  OPIUM  213 


when  she  needed  money  more  than  ever  be- 
fore, when  in  fact  her  exchequer  was  drained, 
does  not  prove  her  grim  earnestness? 
Surely  the  time  has  passed  for  despising  a 
people  with  such  vast  reserves  of  energy, 
such  unconquerable  resolution.  Enfeebled 
and  corrupt  China  may  have  been.  Not  so 
now.  She  has  crushed  the  poppy  beneath  her 
feet  and  at  last  she  is  aroused. 


X 


THE  FUTURE  OF  CHIXA 

WLIT  is  to  be  tbe  future  of  China! 

On  what  lines  will  the  great  Re- 
public of  the  East  develop!  Will 
she  retain  any,  and  which,  of  the  characteris- 
tics that  marked  the  Celestial  Empire — that 
Empire  which  for  centuries  seemed  imper- 
vious to  change?  Now  that  at  last  change 
has  come,  what  will  be  the  consequences! — 
first,  upon  the  situation  in  the  Far  East; 
then  upon  the  world  at  large — the  world  that, 
accustomed  to  discount  China  as  a supine 
giant  whom  nothing  could  rouse,  now  has  to 
realize  that  her  awakening  liberates  a force, 
strange  and  incalculable,  that  must  be  reck- 
oned with. 

These  questions  are  of  profound,  of  far- 
reaching  importance.  No  one  who  has  tried 
to  realize  the  stupendous  industrial  and  com- 
mercial possibilities  that  hinge  upon  the 
opening  of  China;  no  one  who  has  even 
faintly  comprehended  all  that  a Yellow  Peril 
might  mean  to  Europe,  can  fail  to  grasp 
their  significance,  for  upon  them,  or  rather 

214 


THE  FUTURE  OF  CHINA  215 


upon  the  answers  of  history  during  the  next 
half-century,  it  may  well  be  that  the  whole 
fabric  of  our  civilization  depends.  To  try 
and  anticipate  history  would  be  foolish  in- 
deed. Prophecy,  we  know,  is  ever  the  most 
gratuitous  form  of  error.  But  from  the  many 
perplexities  of  the  situation  at  least  one  or 
two  cardinal  facts  stand  clearly  out — facts 
that  properly  considered  may  serve  in  some 
measure  as  pointers  for  the  future.  They 
indicate  unmistakably  in  what  respects  the 
new  China  will,  and  must,  differ  from  the 
Empire  that  has  gone  by  for  ever. 

First,  then,  between  the  old  China  and  the 
new  there  is  one  great  gulf  fixed.  The 
Chinese  of  yore,  he  whose  neck  was  bowed 
beneath  the  yoke  of  the  Mongol  or  the  Man- 
chu  (foreigners  both),  was  taught  to  despise 
the  soldier,  and  despise  him  he  did.  Learn- 
ing, scholarship,  these  he  revered,  even  when 
they  were  wholly  divorced  from  the  realities 
of  life  and  given  over  to  the  memorizing  of 
dead  classics.  But  the  soldier,  the  man  who 
went  down  fighting  against  odds  for  his 
country,  was  akin  to  the  barbarian,  at  best  a 
necessary  evil.  A Chinese  writer  explains 
this  inferiority  thus:  ‘‘ First, he  says, 

‘‘  comes  the  scholar:  because  his  mind  is  su- 
perior to  wealth,  and  it  is  the  intellect  that 
distinguishes  man  above  the  lower  order  of 


216 


SUN  YAT  SEN 


beings  and  enables  him  to  find  food  and  rai- 
ment and  shelter  for  himself  and  for  other 
creatures.  Second,  the  farmer:  because  the 
mind  cannot  act  without  the  body,  and  the 
body  cannot  exist  without  food,  so  that  farm- 
ing is  essential  to  the  existence  of  man,  es- 
pecially in  civilized  society.  Third,  the  me- 
chanic: because,  next  to  food,  shelter  is  a 
necessity,  and  the  man  who  builds  a house 
comes  next  in  honor  to  the  man  who  provides 
food.  Fourth,  the  tradesman:  because,  as 
society  increases  and  its  wants  are  multi- 
plied, men  to  carry  on  exchange  and  barter 
become  a necessity,  and  so  the  merchant 
comes  into  existence.  His  occupation — 
‘ shaving  ^ both  sides,  the  producer  and  the 
consumer — tempts  him  to  act  dishonestly, 
hence  his  low  grade.  Fifth,  the  soldier 
stands  last  and  lowest  in  the  list,  because  his 
business  is  to  destroy  and  not  to  build  up 
society.  He  consumes  what  others  produce, 
but  produces  nothing  himself  that  can  bene- 
fit mankind.  He  is,  perhaps,  a necessary 
evil.  ’ ’ 

All  this  the  Eevolution  has  changed. 
Never  again  will  the  Chinese  despise  the 
profession  of  arms  or  seek  to  degrade  valor. 
It  was  from  no  mere  accident,  but  by  a de- 
liberate act  of  great  significance,  that  Sun 
Yat  Sen  inspected  the  Chinese  Fleet  the  day 


THE  FUTUEE  OP  CHINA  217 


following  his  selection  as  President  of  the 
Provisional  Eepnblic.  Again,  almost  the 
first  proclamation  that  Republic  issued  was 
to  call  for  a conscript  army.  The  fact  is  that 
China  has  had  hammered  into  her  the  old  les- 
son that  a country  can  know  nothing  of  real 
dignity,  let  alone  security  or  peace,  unless 
she  is  prepared  to  fight  for  them  with  her 
o^vn  right  arm,  and  that  scholar,  farmer, 
tradesman,  and  merchant  alike,  all  are  de- 
pendent on  the  soldier  for  freedom  to  follow 
their  avocations.  During  the  past  few  years, 
the  proud  Celestial  has  had  heaped  upon  his 
head  humiliation  after  humiliation  from 
hands  he  despised.  Consider  for  a moment 
how  the  events  of  the  past  decade  and  a 
half  must  have  appeared  to  him. 

First  came  the  challenge  to  his  suzerainty 
over  Korea.  Then  followed  the  war  with 
the  Japanese — China’s  pupils  till  recently — 
whose  claims  were  regarded  with  amused 
contempt,  and  by  whom  the  Chinese  were  so 
soundly  thrashed  that  they  had  to  appeal  to 
the  European  Powers  to  protect  their  terri- 
tory. Their  pride  was  soon  to  sustain  a 
deeper  wound.  Two  German  missionaries 
were  murdered  by  a mob  of  fanatics.  Noth- 
ing would  placate  the  inexorable  German  but 
a part  of  the  Celestial  Empire  itself,  and 
Kiao-chou  was  ceded.  Then  came  the  Boxer 


218 


SUN  YAT  SEX 


Eising  and  the  terrible  vengeance  exacted  by 
the  Powers  for  the  outrages  committed — the 
sack  of  the  capital,  the  loot  of  cities,  the  dis- 
honor of  women  as  the  allied  troops  passed 
through  the  country  burning,  devastating, 
pillaging. 

Yet  their  cup  of  humiliation  was  not  full, 
for  the  Eusso- Japanese  War  broke  out — to 
be  fought  not  in  Korea,  not  in  Eussian,  not 
in  Japanese  territory,  but  in  Manchuria, 
which  belonged  to  China,  with  whom  neither 
combatant  was  at  war — an  unmistakable  in- 
dication to  the  world  at  large  that  the  Celes- 
tial Empire  had  ceased  to  count! 

Small  wonder  that  these  things  should 
have  burnt  themselves  into  the  soul  of  the 
Chinese,  and  that  even  before  the  Eevolution 
he  should  have  set  about  the  task  of  reorgan- 
izing his  army  in  earnest.  Is  there  no 
higher  power  than  that?  ” asks  the  highly 
cultured  young  lady  in  Major  Barbara,” 
pointing  to  a shell.  “ Yes,”  is  the  answer; 
“ but  that  power — the  shell — can  destroy  the 
higher  powers  as  a tiger  can  kill  a man. 
Therefore  it  is  necessary  that  man  must  mas- 
ter that  power  first.”  And  in  some  such 
spirit  the  Chinese  realizes  that  the  culture 
of  his  beloved  literati  and  the  revered  tombs 
of  his  ancestors  will  not  be  proof  of  them- 
selves against  the  invading  foreigner.  We 


THE  FUTURE  OF  CHINA  219 


may  take  it,  then,  that  the  first  essential  dif- 
ference between  the  China  of  to-day  and  the 
defunct  Empire  is  that  the  Republic  will 
strive  to  become  a great  military  power. 

Already  English  and  American  officers  are 
on  their  way  to  train  the  revolutionaries,  al- 
ready the  latest  type  of  quick-firing  guns 
have  been  despatched  to  the  Republican  Gov- 
ernment. Consider  for  a moment  what  a 
prospect  this  opens  up ! China  has  a popu- 
lation four  hundred  million  strong.  Once 
her  people  become  proficient  in  the  use  of 
arms,  she  can  face  fearful  losses  in  battle 
with  comparative  equanimity — losses  that 
would  stagger  any  combination  of  European 
Powers.  It  may  be  said,  it  is  still  widely 
believed,  that  the  Chinese  cannot  be  got  to 
fight,  that  he  is  at  heart  a coward,  and  that 
he  will  never  stand  punishment  like  Euro- 
pean troops.  Facts  do  not  support  this 
theory!  Those  who  have  seen  the  Chi- 
nese in  action  under  competent  leaders  speak 
of  him  as  a magnificent  soldier.  Lord  Elgin 
praised  most  highly  the  Tartar  cavalry. 
Gordon  often  could  not  find  words  to  ex- 
press his  admiration  of  his  own  Chinese 
troops,  and  his  diary  teems  with  tributes 
both  to  their  bravery  and  to  that  of  the  rebels 
he  was  fighting.  Of  one  battle,  he  said  that 
never  in  his  experience  of  the  Crimea  had 


220 


SUN  YAT  SEN 


he  witnessed  anything  like  the  hand-to-hand 
fighting  for  fierceness  and  determination; 
and  when  we  recall  some  of  the  battles  of 
the  Crimea  this  praise  ought  to  be  conclusive 
as  to  the  mettle  and  endurance  of  the  Chinese 
soldier.  The  English  officers  who  com- 
manded the  Wei-Hai-Wei  regiments  and 
those  who  led  the  Chinese  volunteers  at  the 
siege  of  Peking  spoke  as  warmly,  as  Gor- 
don, and  it  is  reported  (so  says  Lord  Gas- 
coyne-Cecil  in  his  ‘‘  Changing  China  that 
the  Chinese  soldiers  at  the  siege  of  Tientsin 
would  carry  the  wounded  out  of  the  range 
of  fire  when  no  European  was  forthcoming 
for  the  task. 

The  fact  is  that  the  almost  open  contempt 
of  the  Chinese  for  soldiering  has  misled 
European  observers  into  thinking  him  a 
skulker  and  a runaway.  But  the  battlefield 
proves  the  contrar^^  The  contempt  was  only 
part  and  parcel  of  a general  mental  attitude 
— an  attitude  that  has  passed  completely 
away.  Says  Mr.  Putnam  M^eale  in  his  book 
“ The  Struggle  Pound  the  Far  East 
‘ ‘ The  general  military  organization  in  China 
is  now  undoubtedly  far  better  than  it  has 
ever  been  before.  At  such  places  as  Kiu 
Kiang,  Soochow,  and  Foochow,  the  writer 
has  recently  seen  battalion  after  battalion 
(each  the  nucleus  of  a future  divisional  or- 


THE  FUTURE  OF  CHINA  221 


ganization)  turn  out,  relatively  speaking, 
well  clotked,  well  armed,  and  exceedingly 
well  drilled.’^  The  same  authority  quotes  a 
secret  memorandum  setting  forth  the  details 
of  the  Chinese  Army,  according  to  which, 
just  before  the  great  autumn  manoeuvres 
of  1906,  provision  had  been  made  for  the 
creation  of  18  major  units  or  divisions, 
divided  up  on  the  Japanese-German  brigade 
and  regimental  system,  and  therefore  com- 
prising 36  infantry  brigades,  or  72  regiments 
(making  a total  of  216  infantry  battalions, 
72  squadrons  of  cavalry,  and  152  batteries 
of  artillery).  Of  these  corps  ten  divisions 
were  almost  complete  before  the  end  of  1906, 
while  eight  divisions  consisted  merely  of 
skeleton  corps. 

Shortly  after  the  memorandum  was 
drawn  up,  the  organization  of  an  additional 
division  was  begun  in  North  China  by  Yuan- 
Shih-Kai,  making  the  seventh  division  in 
North  China;  while  the  Canton  division,  sev- 
eral battalions  of  which  have  already  been 
recruited,  was  also  comprised  in  the  general 
scheme,  being  designated  No.  20,  and  was  or- 
dered to  bring  the  skeleton  regiments  up  to 
full  strength  as  quickly  as  possible.  Further, 
the  transfer  of  troops  to  Manchuria  began 
on  a big  scale  in  April,  1907,  and  will  now 
be  followed  by  the  creation  of  new  corps. 


222 


SUN  YAT  SEN 


Probably  four  divisions  will  at  first  be  de- 
tailed for  duty  in  Manchuria;  and  it  may 
therefore  be  assumed  that  the  immediate 
work  of  Lu  Chun  Pu,  Minister  of  War,  will 
be  the  completion  of  an  army  of  twenty-four 
divisions,  which  will  number  some  300,000 
men  of  all  arms  on  a peace  footing,  and  which 
will  possess,  when  the  artillery  parks  have 
been  fully  organized,  no  less  than  1,216  field 
and  mountain  guns.’^ 

This  may  be  taken  as  indicating  the  maxi- 
mum of  China’s  immediate  military  re- 
sources. But  it  is  of  value  for  the  moment 
only.  Nothing  is  more  certain  than  that  the 
Eepublicans  intend  to  organize  the  military 
resources  of  China  on  a vast  scale  and  under 
the  most  efficient  guidance  they  can  secure. 

What  will  be  the  effect  of  this  new  force 
upon  the  balance  of  power  in  the  Far  East? 
How  far  will  it  menace  the  hold  on  China 
that  the  Powers  have  secured?  Will  it,  for 
mstance,  ultimately  mean  notice  to  quit  to 
Europe? 

Ultimately,  it  may.  At  present  there  is 
no  possibility  of  such  an  event.  But  in  other 
directions  the  army  that  China  can  now  mus- 
ter will  almost  certainly  lead  to  far-reaching 
consequences.  For  instance,  as  Mr.  Putnam 
Weale  truly  points  out,  if  China  can  create 
a force  strong  enough  to  convince  the  occu- 


OUTIJNE  SKCTION  MAI’  ()K  CKINX 
AND  TIIK  TKKKITOKV  S U Iv  K(  )IT  N I ) IN( ; IT 


I 


THE  FUTURE  OF  CHINA  223 


pants  of  Manchuria  that  she  is  in  a position 
to  resume  the  complete  mastery  of  her  out- 
lying territories,  ‘ ‘ a new  series  of  evacuation 
treaties  may  have  to  be  prepared.”  It  is 
scarcely  credible  that  a demand  for  these 
treaties  would  lead  to  any  difficulties  that 
statesmanship  cannot  surmount.  The  day 
has  passed  when  the  Powers  found  Chinese 
diplomacy  impossible.  Indeed,  if  there  be 
one  result  of  the  Revolution  more  certain 
than  another,  it  is  that  the  relations  between 
China  and  Europe  have  entered  definitely 
upon  a new  chapter,  free  from  the  irritating 
absurdities,  the  suspicions  and  hostilities  of 
the  past  and  to  be  characterized  by  candor 
and  cordiality.  The  Refonn  Party  in  China 
look  to  Europe  for  help  and  encouragement 
in  their  task  of  reconstructing  a mighty  na- 
tion, and  once  their  aims  are  appreciated 
they  will  not  look  in  vain.  One  cloud  there 
is  on  the  horizon,  however,  no  bigger  than  a 
man’s  hand.  In  one  of  his  most  recent 
speeches  in  Canton,  Sun  Yat  Sen  referred 
very  briefly  to  an  old  controversy — that 
touching  the  question  of  extra-territoriality 
— and  as  it  is  practically  certain  that  more, 
much  more,  will  be  heard  of  the  matter,  it 
may  be  as  well  to  state  shortly  in  what  the 
difference  consists. 

The  facts  are  these.  When,  in  1842,  the 


224 


SUN  YAT  SEN 


Chinese  had  been  hopelessly  defeated  by 
Britain,  they  signed  the  famous  treaty  of 
Nanking.  This  provided  for  the  compulsory 
cession  of  the  Island  of  Hong-Kong,  the 
opening  of  not  only  Canton  but  Amoy,  Foo- 
chow, Shanghai,  and  Ning^DO  as  treaty  ports, 
the  location  of  a British  Consul  in  each  port, 
and,  most  necessary  but  most  humiliating  of 
all  to  China,  the  recognition  of  the  extra- 
territorial rights  of  all  foreigners,  so  that 
no  matter  what  their  crime,  they  could  not 
be  tried  by  Chinese  courts,  but  only  by  their 
own  Consuls.  This  treaty  contributed  so 
much  to  the  opening  of  China  that  Dr.  S. 
Wells  Williams  characterized  it  as  ‘‘  one  of 
the  turning-points  in  the  history  of  mankind, 
involving  the  welfare  of  all  nations  in  its 
wide-reaching  consequences.’^  That  may 
have  been  the  case. 

None  the  less  the  Chinese  have  always 
bitterly  resented  its  terms.  In  fact,  these 
extra-territorial  rights  are  one  of  the  chief 
sources  of  irritation  against  foreigners,  for 
they  not  only  imply  contempt  for  China, 
but  make  foreigners  a privileged  class.  Said 
Minister  Wen  Hsiang  in  1868:  Take  away 

your  extra-territorial  clause,  and  merchant 
and  missionary  may  settle  anywhere  and 
everywhere.  But  retain  it,  and  we  must  do 
our  best  to  confine  you  and  our  trouble  to 


THE  FUTUEE  OF  CHINA  225 


the  treaty  ports. Unfortunately  this  is  a 
cause  of  resentment  that  Western  nations 
cannot  immediately  remove.  While  we  can 
understand  the  resentment  of  the  Chinese 
magistrates  as  they  see  their  methods  dis- 
credited by  the  foreigner,  it  would  not  do  to 
subject  Europeans  and  Americans  to  Chinese 
legal  procedure.  The  answer  of  Mr.  Wade, 
the  British  Minister,  still  applies: — 

Experience  has  shown  that  in  many  cases 
the  latter  (i.e.,  the  law  of  China)  will  con- 
demn a prisoner  to  death,  where  the  law  of 
England  would  be  satisfied  with  a penalty 
far  less  severe,  if,  indeed,  it  were  possible 
to  punish  the  man  at  all.  It  is  to  be  de- 
plored that  misunderstandings  should  arise 
from  a difference  in  our  codes,  but  I see  no 
remedy  for  this  until  China  shall  see  fit  to 
revise  the  process  of  investigation  now  com- 
mon in  her  courts.  So  long  as  evidence  is 
wrung  from  witnesses  by  torture,  it  is 
scarcely  possible  for  the  authorities  of  a for- 
eign Power  to  associate  themselves  with 
those  of  China  in  the  trial  of  a criminal  case ; 
and  unless  the  authorities  of  both  nation- 
alities are  present,  there  will  always  be  a 
suspicion  of  unfairness  on  one  side  or  the 
other.  This  difficulty  surmounted,  there 
would  be  none  in  the  way  of  providing  a code 
of  laws  to  affect  mixed  cases ; none,  certainly. 


226 


SUX  YAT  SEX 


on  the  part  of  England;  none,  in  my  belief, 
either,  on  the  part  of  any  other  Power.” 

Meantime,  as  the  Hon.  Frederick  Low, 
United  States  Minister  at  Peking,  wrote  to 
the  State  Department  at  Washington,  March 
20,  1871:  ‘‘  The  dictates  of  humanity  will 

not  permit  the  renunciation  of  the  right  for 
all  foreigners  that  they  shall  be  governed 
and  punished  by  their  o^vn  laws.” 

There  can  be  no  doubt  whatever  that  so 
long  as  the  corrupt  and'  degrading  system  of 
justice  that  characterized  the  Manchu  regime 
persisted,  it  was  not  possible  for  civilized 
countries  to  adopt  any  other  attitude  than 
that  of  rigid  insistence  on  their  extra-terri- 
torial rights.  The  old  Chinese  criminal  code 
differs  so  widely  from  our  ovm,  it  is,  accord- 
ing to  Western  notions,  so  capricious  and  in- 
explicable, that  obviously  Europeans  would 
not  live  under  its  harsh  and  antiquated  pro- 
visions. But  now  the  question  arises,  or  it 
will  soon  arise,  as  to  whether  this  attitude 
does  not  properly  belong  to  ancient  history, 
for  in  the  recasting  of  Chinese  institutions 
none,  it  is  certain,  will  be  reformed  more 
drastically  than  the  judiciary.  The  day  of 
the  corrupt  and  impossible  mandarins  is 
over. 

Who  will  take  their  place?  Students  and 
lawyers,  trained^  not  only  in  Chinese  uni- 


THE  FUTUEE  OF  CHINA  227 


versities,  but  at  Western  seats  of  learning — 
men  who  have  taken  their  degrees  at  Oxford 
and  Cambridge,  at  Harvard  and  Berlin,  and 
who  will  administer  laws  based  not  upon 
obscure  customs,  and  drafted  centuries  ago, 
but  passed  in  a Parliament  representative 
of  modern  China  and  with  the  experience  of 
the  world  to  guide  its  deliberations.  We 
must  not  forget  that  perhaps  the  greatest 
triumph  achieved  by  Sun  Yat  Sen  and  his 
colleagues  has  been  that  while  they  have 
carried  on,  under  the  extraordinary  circum- 
stances we  have  described,  an  incessant  war- 
fare with  the  Manchu  despotism,  they  have 
never  lost  sight  of  the  fact  that  a day  would 
come  when  it  would  be  absolutely  necessary 
for  them  to  set  about  the  work  of  reconstruc- 
tion, and  accordingly,  as  the  impending  col- 
lapse of  the  old  regime  became  more  and 
more  apparent.  Sun  Yat  Sen  succeeded  in 
persuading  the  rich  and  influential  among  his 
supporters  to  send  the  brightest  spirits  of 
the  younger  generation  to  be  educated  out- 
side China.  There  is  something  decidedly 
impressive  in  the  quiet  confidence  and 
strength  of  a leader  who,  as  he  directs  the 
pulling  dowm  of  a doomed  edifice,  takes  steps 
to  raise  another  in  its  place,  and  the  pre- 
science of  the  man  who  has  for  twenty  years 
directed  operations  against  the  Manchu  des- 


228 


SUN  YAT  SEN 


potism  will  be  in  nothing  more  apparent  than 
this : that  now  the  crash  has  come  he  has  his 
men  ready  for  all  the  positions  of  trust  and 
danger  on  whose  fitness  the  State  must  de- 
pend. This  is  true  of  the  Army,  of  the  Na^^, 
of  the  Magistracy,  and  it  is  certain  that,  with 
a reconstituted  bench,  whose  personnel  is  un- 
exceptional, administering  a modern  and 
scientific  system  of  law,  the  Republic  will 
press  on  the  Powers  the  demand  for  the 
abrogation  of  these  extra-territorial  treaties. 
China,  when  weak  and  decadent,  accepted 
them  only  under  pressure.  China  conscious 
of  her  own  immense  reserves  of  strength  is 
not  in  the  least  likely  to  suffer  them  a day 
longer  than  she  can  help. 

How  will  China  enforce  this  demand? 
She  can  bring  to  bear  on  Europe  a most  pow- 
erful, albeit  indirect  influence — the  influence 
of  trade.  The  great  objection  to  the  Man- 
chu  dynasty  outside  China  was  that  it  ham- 
pered commerce  at  almost  every  turn.  It 
needed  not  one,  but  many  wars  to  get  Euro- 
pean business  men  ordinary  commercial 
facilities,  and,  as  we  have  seen,  the  indus- 
trial resources  of  the  country  have  not  yet 
begun  to  be  developed.  It  will  be  the  policy 
of  the  Republican  Government,  not  to  con- 
tinually restrict  and  harass  trade,  but,  sub- 
ject to  certain  conditions,  to  facilitate  by  all 


THE  FUTUEE  OF  CHINA  229 


means  in  their  power  the  opening  up  to  the 
industrial  nations  of  the  earth  of  the  great- 
est market  for  their  goods  that  the  world 
can  atford. 

It  is  certain,  even  from  the  speech  of  Sun 
Yat  Sen  to  which  we  have  referred,  that  the 
price  she  will  demand  for  this  is  the  can- 
cellation, probably  under  a time  limit,  of  the 
extra-territorial  clauses,  giving  in  return 
treaties  and  concessions  of  infinitely  more 
importance  and  value. 

For  there  can  be  no  possible  probable 
shadow  of  doubt  that  the  revolution  in 
China  is  to  be  the  precursor  of  one  of  the 
greatest  industrial  “ booms  ’’  that  the  world 
has  ever  seen.  Consider  first  the  neglected 
mineral  resources  of  the  Flowery  Land.  The 
world  has  only  faintly  realized  the  value  of 
these  deposits.  Huge  reserves  of  anthracite 
coal  and  vast  quantities  of  iron  are  two  of 
China’s  most  important  assets.  Both  have 
been  proved : neither  has  been  worked. 
True,  for  centuries  the  Chinese  have  been 
busily  engaged  in  working  the  coal  outcrops 
in  Hunan,  and  in  other  parts  of  the  Empire. 
But  how?  By  means  of  shallow  pits  and  the 
most  rudimentary  appliances  for  dealing 
with  water,  which  finally  overwhelmed  them. 
True,  also,  that  recently  numerous  attempts 
have  been  made  upon  the  part  of  various 


230 


SUN  YAT  SEN 


financial  groups  to  develop  the  vast  deposits 
of  coal  on  modern  lines. 

There  was,  for  instance,  the  famous  Peking 
Syndicate,  formed  to  exploit  the  metallifer- 
ous areas  of  the  two  rich  provinces  of  Honan 
and  Shansi,  provinces  which,  according  to 
the  scientist  traveller,  Baron  Von  Eicht- 
hofen,  contain  enough  coal  and  iron  to  keep 
the  world  busy  for  two  thousand  years.  The 
23rospects  of  the  syndicate  were,  therefore, 
excellent.  But  what  took  place?  The  shares, 
it  is  true,  went  to  a premium  on  the  Stock 
Exchange,  but  the  actual  coal  and  iron  raised 
were  a negligible  quantity.  Disturbed  con- 
ditions prevented  any  operations  until  1902. 
Then  there  were  difficulties  with  the  Chinese 
Government,  who  procrastinated  as  only  Ce- 
lestials can. 

Finally,  so  it  is  alleged,  it  was  discovered 
that  the  original  contract  of  the  Peking  Syn- 
dicate was  defective,  inasmuch  as  the  Eng- 
lish and  Chinese  texts  differed  in  some  essen- 
tial particulars,  and  it  was,  unfortunately, 
never  agreed  which  text  was  to  be  the 
authoritative  one.  There  have  been  other 
syndicates  formed  with  prospects  just  as  al- 
luring, with  histories  just  as  barren  of  re- 
sults to  every  one  except  the  lawyers.  It 
was  essential,  in  fact,  to  the  development  of 
China  that  a new  spirit  should  animate  her 


THE  FUTURE  OF  CHINA  231 


Government,  that  a new  faith  should  quicken 
the  pulse  of  her  people,  and  the  inevitable 
has  happened.  Both  the  Peking  Syndicate 
and  the  basket  method  of  mining  belong  to 
an  era  that  has  definitely  closed,  and  the  first 
care  of  the  Republican  Government,  once  it 
has  provided  for  national  defence,  will  be  to 
organize  upon  modern  lines  the  development 
of  the  national  wealth  whose  neglect  was 
alone  sufficient  to  condemn  the  Empire.  Let 
us  see  for  a moment  what  this  means  to 
China.  ‘‘  While  in  Teng-Chow-Fu,”  says 
Mr.  Brown,  we  witnessed  a pathetic  cere- 
mony. There  had  been  no  rain  for  several 
weeks.  The  kaoliang  was  withering  and  the 
farmers  could  not  plant  their  beans  on  the 
ground  from  which  the  winter  wheat  had 
been  cut.  The  people  had  become  alarmed 
as  the  drought  continued,  and  they  were 
parading  the  streets  bearing  banners,  wear- 
ing chaplets  of  withered  leaves  on  their  heads 
to  remind  the  gods  that  the  vegetation  was 
dying,  beating  drums  to  attract  the  atten- 
tion of  the  gods,  and  ever  and  anon  falling 
on  their  knees  and  praying,  ‘ 0 Great  Dragon, 
send  us  rain ! ’ It  was  pitiful.  This  country 
is  fertile,  but  the  population  is  so  enormous 
that,  in  the  absence  of  any  manufacturing  or 
mining,  the  people  even  in  the  most  favored 
seasons  live  from  hand  to  mouth,  and  a 


232 


SUN  YAT  SEN 


drought  means  the  starvation  of  multitudes. 
Obviously  a people  living  almost  exclusively 
on  agriculture  and  disdaining  mining  .and 
manufacture  must  become  inured  to  a stand- 
ard of  living  that  appears  incredibly  low  to 
the  Westerner,  with  few  comforts  and  with 
their  very  food  liable  to  constant  menace. 
Inevitably  the  industrial  awakening  must 
check  this  impoverishment  of  the  people. 

Let  it  be  remembered  that  a direct  result 
of  this  impoverishment  is  infanticide,  the 
greatest  blot  on  the  Chinese  escutcheon,  for 
it  should  be  noted  that  this  horror  is  preva- 
lent only  where  grinding  poverty  obliterates 
natural  affection.  Only  in  the  famine  dis- 
tricts may  we  read  the  words  “ Girl  babies 
must  not  be  drowned  here.’’ 

The  effect  of  the  industrial  awakening  will 
be  felt  far  outside  China.  It  will  provide  the 
European  and  American  exporter  with  such 
a market  as  trader  never  dreamed  of.  With 
the  Eepublic  China  has  entered  definitely 
upon  a course  of  commercial  development, 
and  we  have  only  to  reflect  for  an  instant 
upon  the  vastness  of  her  population  to  real- 
ize that  this  way  lies  an  economic  revolution 
such  as  the  world  has  never  seen.  No  effort 
will  be  required  on  the  part  of  the  Chinese 
to  enter  industrial  life,  for  which  alike  their 
instinctive  capacity  for  craftsmanship  and 


THE  FUTURE  OF  CHINA  233 


their  sense  of  discipline  eminently  fit  them. 

Once  the  Chinese  finds  his  standard  of 
life  is  rising,  once  his  wants  increase  and 
multiply  so  that  his  consumption  becomes 
considerable,  obviously  his  country  will  otfer 
unequalled  opportunities  for  the  expansion 
of  trade.  Already  there  are  indications  that 
point  in  this  direction.  Modern  inventions, 
more  varied  foods,  articles  of  comfort  for- 
merly unsuspected  of  the  Celestial,  these 
have  already  made  themselves  known  in 
China.  The  peasant  is  no  longer  content 
with  the  wretched  tallow  candles  and  oil 
lamps  ’’  with  their  wicks  floating  in  cups; 
he  wants  kerosene  instead  of  bean  oil,  and 
he  is  learning  to  buy  American  lamps,  and 
thus  Chinese  households  are  being  rescued 
from  the  misery  of  semi-darkness.  In  Can- 
ton the  narrow  streets  are  brilliant  with 
houses  lit  with  German  chandeliers  and 
lamps — cheap  perhaps,  but  infinitely  supe- 
rior to  those  they  have  replaced.  Not  only 
are  new  lamps  for  old  demanded,  but  there 
is  everywhere  in  China  evidence  of  the  live- 
liest dissatisfaction  with  the  wretched  hous- 
ing conditions,  and  for  the  mud  roof  of  a 
generation  ago  bright  red  tiles  are  being 
substituted.  The  impact  of  Western  ideas 
has  created  a host  of  new  demands  of  which 
Europe  is  already  feeling  the  benefit. 


234 


SUN  YAT  SEN 


The  old  days  when  China  bought  next  to 
nothing  from  the  West  are  over.  At  a ban- 
quet given  by  the  foreign  Ministers  to  the 
Emperor  and  Empress  Dowager  in  the 
famous  Summer  Palace  outside  Peking  a 
few  years  ago,  the  guests  cut  York  ham  with 
knives  from  Sheffield,  and  drank  French 
wines  out  of  German  glasses.  And  not 
merely  the  aristocrats  and  the  wealthy,  but 
the  people  themselves  are  touched  by  the 
new  spirit.  The  children  that  went  naked 
are  being  clothed,  and  already  thousands 
upon  thousands  of  sewing-machines  are 
buzzing  in  countless  Chinese  homes.  Fathers 
and  mothers  are  learning  to  vary  the  eternal 
monotony  of  rice  diet.’’  They  are  learn- 
ing the  superiority  of  wooden  floors  to  ground 
encrusted  with  filth,  of  good  roads  to  tor- 
tuous paths  through  heaps  of  putrid  gar- 
bage. 

In  a word,  China  is  becoming  civilized,  and 
as  a purchaser  of  Western  goods  she  will 
easily  outdistance  all  competitors.  The 
change  set  in  prior  to  the  revolution,  which 
will  enormously  quicken  the  pace. 

Cotton  and  flour  mills  have  been  spring- 
ing up  in  various  parts  of  the  country.  Silk 
filatures  fitted  with  modern  plant  are  every- 
where on  the  increase.  Small  native-owned 
iron  foundries  and  machine  shops  with  Euro- 


THE  FUTURE  OF  CHINA  235 


pean  machinery  are  being  established  along 
the  coast,  river,  and  rail,  and  during  the 
decade  1896-1906 — a period  that  included 
two  wars,  several  famines,  and  many  spo- 
radic outbreaks — the  net  value  of  the  foreign 
trade  of  the  country  increased  80  per  cent. — 
from  366,329,983  taels  in  1897  to  646,726,821 
taels  in  1906. 

If  these  things  are  done  in  the  green 
twig,  what  shall  be  done  in  the  dry?  ’’  Re- 
member, the  above  increase  was  effected  in 
the  teeth  of  the  opposition  of  a Government 
bent  upon  hampering  trade  in  every  possible 
respect.  The  contrary  will  be  the  policy  of 
the  Republic,  whose  leaders  realize  to  the 
full  that  they  are  responsible  to  countless 
millions  whose  only  escape  from  abject  pov- 
erty lies  in  the  expansion  of  trade.  And 
they  will  seek  to  extend  that  trade,  first  and 
foremost,  by  the  provision  of  such  a system 
of  railways  as  will  liberate  the  immense 
mineral  resources  of  China  and  make  their 
development  a commercial  possibility. 

The  provision  of  railways  is  to  China  an 
absolute  necessity  of  her  complete  industrial 
awakening.  Without  them  her  minerals  can- 
not profitably  be  worked.  There  are,  it 
should  be  borne  in  mind,  no  roads  to  speak 
of  in  the  interior  of  China.  Ruts  have  been 
made  by  the  passing  of  generations  of  feet 


236 


SUN  YAT  SEN 


and  wheels — ruts  that  are  either  thick  with 
dust  or  fathomless  with  mud.  Add  to  this 
one  other  consideration — the  bewildering 
vastness  of  the  territory — and  we  realize  at 
once  the  paramount  importance  of  improved 
transit.  What  has  been  done  thus  far  in  the 
direction  of  providing  China  with  railways? 
The  first  railway  ever  built  in  China,  that 
laid  down  in  1875,  was,  as  we  have  seen, 
destroyed  by  the  Government.  It  was  six 
years  before  it  was  followed  by  another  at- 
tempt, a line  from  the  Kaiping  coal-mines  to 
Taku,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Fei-ho  Eiver  and 
the  ocean  gateway  to  the  capital.  Later  this 
line  was  extended,  and  now  forms  part  of  the 
Imperial  Eailway,  belonging  to  the  Chinese 
Government,  though  vfith  bonds  issued  on  it 
to  the  French  and  American  capitalists  who 
financed  its  working.  It  was  not  till  1895 
that  any  concessions  to  build  railways,  much 
worth  counting,  were  granted  by  the  Chinese 
Government.  Then  they  were  issued  rapidly, 
and,  according  to  the  Archiv  fur  EisenhaJin- 
reisen  of  Gennany,  the  total  length  of  the 
railways  in  use  in  China  was  about  742  miles, 
an  aggregate  so  trifling  as  to  be  ridiculous, 
while  lines  of  the  very  greatest  importance, 
whose  very  construction  will  require  years 
of  constant  work,  are  ‘‘  projected  ’’  and  re- 
main so. 


“HEADS  AND  TAILS” 

A Street  scene  in  Shanghai.  A festal  occasion 


THE  FUTURE  OF  CHINA  237 


What  lias  caused  the  delay?  In  part  it 
is  due  to  the  inherent  defects  of  the  old  or- 
der, the  almost  endless  procrastinations,  the 
interminable  delays,  the  stubborn  hostility 
to  foreign  syndicates — for  all  of  which  and 
for  a hundred  other  otfences  the  Manchus 
are  to  blame. 

On  the  other  hand,  we  must  recognize  that 
no  little  blame  attaches  to  the  ‘‘  frenzied 
finance  which  has  used  railways  in  China 
merely  as  a bait  for  unwary  speculators,  with- 
out making  any  serious  effort  to  place  them 
on  a sound  footing.  Worse  even  than  the 
merely  obstructive  policy  of  the  Chinese 
Government  has  been  this : that,  as  Mr.  Put- 
nam Weale  explains,  ‘‘  no  effective  control 
has  been  exercised  by  the  Government  over 
the  European  syndicates,  with  the  result  that 
the  whole  system  of  railway  building  has 
been  bad  from  first  to  last.’’  Constructional 
expenses  have  too  often  been  made  simply 
enormous  so  as  to  allow  commissions  of  in- 
ordinate size  to  line  the  pockets  of  those 
who  have  been  successful  enough  to  receive 
building  concessions.  In  no  other  part  of 
the  world  would  syndicates  have  been  per- 
mitted to  float  loans  without  first  submitting 
to  the  Government  of  the  country  definite 
surveys  and  building  tenders,  which  would 
afford  a check  on  capital  expenditure  and 


238 


SUX  YAT  SEX 


make  the  concessionaires,  and  not  the  Gov- 
ernment, liable  for  any  exjDenditure  not  ex- 
pressly specified  in  the  final  contracts.  In 
the  case  of  the  Shanghai-Xanking  Eailway, 
the  original  estimates  have  been  exceeded  by 
nearly  three-qnarters  of  a million  sterling. 

In  this  particular  case  there  is  a keen  dis- 
pute as  to  where  the  blame  should  be  laid, 
but  speaking  generally,  there  can  be  no  pos- 
sible doubt  that  the  railway  development  of 
China  has  been  gidevously  retarded,  as  much 
by  unscrupulous  concessionaires  as  by  the 
supineness  of  the  Chinese  Government.  It 
needs  no  great  penetration  to  discern  what 
the  policy  of  the  Eepublican  Government  will 
be,  for,  while  on  the  one  hand  they  will  do 
everything  in  their  power  to  encourage  capi- 
tal with  which  to  inaugurate  a really  ade- 
quate system  of  railways,  yet  they  will  end 
once  for  all  the  system,  whereby  groups  of 
men  and  interests,  not  iDrimarily  associated 
with  railway  building,  come  into  the  market 
to  exploit  the  Chinese  by  raising  to  an 
absurd  figure  the  capital  cost  of  the  railwavs 
built. 

Eailways,  in  fact,  wiU,  after  national  de- 
fence, be  the  first  care  of  the  Chinese  Execu- 
tive, which  wiU  leave  no  stone  unturned,  first, 
to  secure  the  capital  for  their  construction; 
secondly,  to  see  to  it  that  not  a penny  is 


THE  FUTURE  OF  CHINA  239 


wasted.  A stupendous  task  indeed,  but  well 
worth  the  effort. 

As  Mr.  Brown  says:  It  would  be  im- 

possible to  describe  adequately  the  far-reach- 
ing effect  upon  China  and  the  Chinese  of  this 
extension  of  modern  railways.  We  have  an 
illustration  of  its  meaning  in  America,  where 
the  transcontinental  railroads  resulted  in  the 
amazing  development  of  our  western  plains 
and  of  the  Pacific  coast.  The  effect  of  such 
a development  in  China  can  hardly  be  over- 
estimated, for  China  has  more  than  ten  times 
the  population  of  the  trans-Mississippi  re- 
gion, while  its  territory  is  vaster  and  equally 
rich  in  mineral  resources.  As  I travelled 
through  the  land,  it  seemed  to  me  that  al- 
most the  whole  northern  part  of  the  Empire 
was  composed  of  illimitable  fields  of  wheat 
and  millet,  and  that  in  the  south  the  millions 
of  paddy  plots  formed  a rice-field  of  con- 
tinental proportions.  Hidden  away  in 
China’s  mountains  and  underlying  her  bound- 
less plateaus  are  immense  deposits  of  coal 
and  iron;  while  above  any  other  country  on 
the  globe,  China  has  the  labor  for  the  de- 
velopment of  agriculture  and  manufacture. 
Think  of  the  influence,  not  only  upon  the 
Chinese  but  the  whole  world,  when  railways 
not  only  carry  the  corn  of  Hunan  to  the 
famine  sufferers  in  Shantung,  but  when  they 


240 


SUN  YAT  SEN 


bring  coal,  iron,  and  other  products  of 
Chinese  soil  and  industry  within  reach  of 
steamship  lines  running  to  Europe  and 
America.  To  make  all  these  resources  avail- 
able to  the  rest  of  the  world,  and  in  turn  to 
introduce  among  the  426,000,000  of  the 
Chinese  the  products  and  inventions  of 
Europe  and  America,  is  to  bring  about  an 
economic  transformation  of  stupendous 
proportions.’’ 


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